IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photograpiiic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  872-4503 


I 


►^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


D 
D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


0    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  no 


noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intdrieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  ceia  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6td  film^es. 

Addition..:  comments:/ 
Commc  itaires  suppl^mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

I      I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


0 


Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolordes,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 


□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

HShowthrough/ 
Transparence 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Quality  in^gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  dt6  film^es  d  nouveau  de  fa9on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqut  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


s/ 

12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Ills 

du 

difier 

jne 

lage 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

New  Brunswicic  Museum 
Saint  John 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grfice  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

New  Brunswick  Museum 
Saint  John 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soi/i,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  i\lm6.  et  en 
conformit6  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


3 


I2X 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
thb  last  oage  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  film^s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidr'*  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
emprc^iniu. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contaiii  the  symbol  —»- (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  iimage  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — »>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  fttre 
film^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


ata 


Blure, 


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2 

3 

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N  E  \\     Y  ()  R  K  : 
A.    D.    F.    RANDOLPH    &    CO 

150ST0N:  A.  \VIIJ,IAMS   &  CO. 


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Preface. 


5 


The  substance  of  this  book  was  originally  prepared  in 
the  form  of  a  series  of  letters  for  the  public  press,  but  it 
was  finally  decided  to  give  the  topics  treated  a  more  per- 
manent place  in  literature.  The  Author  was  encouraged 
to  do  so,  for  the  reason  that  the  field  was  unoccupied,  no 
one  having  attempted  to  bring  out  a  work  of  this  character 
relating  to  what  is  universallv  conceded  to  be  the  most 
romantic  and  interesting  portion  of  the  New-England 
Coast. 

This  work  is  not  offered  as  a  guide,  though  the  Author 
hopes  that  it  may  not  prove  unacceptable  as  a  companion. 
Being  popular  in  its  character,  it  was  not  thought  expe- 
dient to  cumber  the  pages  with  many  references,  yet  it  is 
believed  that  no  important  statement  of  fact  is  in  any  case 
given  that  does  not  rest  on  good  authority,  unless  it  be  tho 
representation  given  of  Argall. 


Stuyvesant  Park,  New  York,  1871 


SJ^Ou'^ 


^  .l_        -fill   «iLp»fW^!W"t" 


xr     i» 


TTT-        iir      ■   rr         rv  i»         tw         i»         it        wr 


i 


n     Txz:^f     TX      It     n     rr     in 


Contents. 


Chapter 

T.     . 

•          • 

.     .     .     .      1>ird'.s-Eye  Views. 

Cii\rTi;ii 

11.    . 

^lorxr   I)i:sERr. 

CiiAi'Tr.ii 

iir. 

A  11 

vixY  jNIornixg  with  the  Jesiiis. 

ClIAPTKU 

IV. 

AK 

VINY  ^loRNIXG  WITH    THE   JesUITS. 

Cir  VTTiii 

y.  . 

Somes'  Soixd. 

ClIAPTKU 

XL 

.     .     .  A:mox(;  the  Moext aix.s. 

C II  APT  I,  R 

VII. 

•         « 

.      .      .    AlNIOXG    THE    ]\I()UXTAi\S. 

Chapter 

VIII. 

•         • 

The  Lake  ltE(;ioN. 

Chapter 

IX. 

•         • 

Ueac  H  Uamiji.i:s. 

ClIVPTER 

X.  . 

Fri:x(timan's   Bvy. 

Chapter 

XI. 

.     .     .      Fog  axi)  iis  IOeeects. 

Chapter 

XII. 

.     .     .    Fish  axd  Fisheu-Foek. 

Chapter 

XIII. 

• 

.    .     .    ,      The  Isles  up  Shoals. 

ClI  \PTER 

XIV, 
XV. 

Pexorscot   1j  vy. 

Chapter 

• 

GuAXD  ^Iexax. 

Appendix. 

•         • 

M 


O  U  N  T 


D 


E  S  E  R  T . 


B  IRD'S-EY  K    VfFAVS. 

Cn  APT  Ell    I. 

The  Coast  —  Its  "Rkautiks  —  Its  PixuLrAuiTiEs  —  Its 
RivKiis  —  Tmo  XoiiTiiMKN  —  Caijot  —  Vkurazzaxo  — 
Gosx()i.D~ru!NCr— Df:  Moxts— Wky.moutii— PoriiAM— 
Henhy  Hudson  — The  Jmsuits. 

EVEEIAL  siimiiKns  ui^^o  wo  wero  sitting 
at  an  open  window,  looking  out  npon 
one  of  tho  })leasant  ])arks  of  New  York, 
vainly  endeavoring  to  detect  some  [x'r- 
ceptible  motion  among  the  tall  nuqdes  whose  leaves 
had  himix  ever  since  morning  as  immovable  as  foliage 
cut  in  cold  stone.  But  not  a  Vjougli  waved  nor  a  leaf 
stirred,  for  the  dog-days  had  set  in,  and  a  Canicnla 
of  unequalled  intensity  seemed  fairly  to  weigh  (hjwn 
the  whole  world.  It  was  almost  im[)Ossil>le  to  breathe, 
and  the  very  grasshopper  was  a  burden.  Under  the 
circumstances,  the  mind  recurred  to  every  conceivable 
refuge,  and  was  tantalized  by  visions  of  far-off  isles, 
sown  like  gems  in  the  sea,  where,  as  the  ])ard  of  Scio 
imagined,    the    shrilly-breathing    Zephyrus  v*'as    ever 


8 


Mount  Desert, 


])iping  for  the  reiVesliment  of  man.  At  last  fancy 
found  expression  in  words,  and  we  fell  into  a  serious 
discussion  of  tlie  merits  of  ocean  and  sliore,  and  re- 
solved to  get  out  of  the  suffocating  city  without  delay. 
But  where  should  we  go?  Of  course,  repetitions  of 
New  York  were  suufijested  ;  and  vet  what  real  advan- 
tage  shoidd  we  lind  in  any  change  that  gave  no  fresh 
mental  and  moral  air?  The  sicklv  dilutions  of  Lontjj 
IJranch  ould  not  sulhce.  Ami  so  (I  hardly  know 
lioNv  it  came  about)  j\[auie  was  talkcid  of.  But  what 
was  th(u-e  in  jNIaine  ?  We  certainly  did  not  want  to 
go  to  Moosehead  Lake  at  this  season,  to  he  devoured 
by  black  flies.  Why,  of  course,  there  was  ''  Mount 
Desert."  The  name  was  a  novelty,  and  reminded  lis 
of  the  scenes  wliich  suggested  the  story  of  "  The  Pearl 
of  Orr's  Island."  AV^e  at  once  looked  up  the  place, 
and  found,  in  several  books  of  travel,  brief  references, 
by  out-of-the-way  touiists,  to  a  wonderful  isle  off  Pe- 
nobscot Bay,  an  isle  seen  in  early  times^  by  sailors, 

(1 )— ^fany  into  whoso  liantls  this  book  may  fall,  will  tlonbtlcss  be  plad  to  have 
hfvo  a  ft-'w  ailtlitioTial  itoius  on  the  early  history  of  Maino,  which  are  there- 
fore (riven  in  the  form  of  note-J,  to  bo  skipped  by  the  general  reader.  First,  it 
nnist  be  observed  that  the  i)re  Columbian  discovery  of  America  is  now  re- 
pard(Hl  as  an  established  fact.  The  authenticity  of  the  Icelandic  histories 
has  beoii  anijily  vindii-ated,  and  it  is  clear  that  the  Atlantic  Coast  \y\\\^  above 
the  forly-lirst  iiurallel  was  more  or  l»\ss  familiar  to  the  Icelandic  navl<rators. 
Yet  the  shores  of  ]\raine  arc  not  nuMitioiied  in  any  of  the  Saf^'as,  The  ]irinci- 
pal  voyajTes  of  which  we  have  historical  accounts  were  made  to  a  locality 
called  I[op^  near  the  southeastern  part  of  .Massachusetts,  for  which  place 
they  laid  their  course  when  leavinir  the  headlands  of  Nova  Scotia.  Conse- 
quently, while  the  slinres  of  Labradtir  and  Nova  Scotia  are  delineated  withi 
con;-iderable  miiuiteness,  nothiuii  appears  to  apply  to  the  coast  of  ^Maine. 

Biarue,  fcoii  of  Ueriulf,  who  was  driven  upon  the  Auiericau  coacit  in  the 


Mount  Desert. 


and  wliicli  was  called  "  ^[ounfc  Desert."  Ft  was  a 
perfect  ^errrt  i/iror/nita  to  onv  luiiids ;  but  we  at  oiico 
resolved  on  an  exploration.  From  Willianison's  lun'e- 
liable  and  yet  invaluabh;   book  on  Maine,  wi;   learniMl 

year  985,  doubtlospi  Pfvw  this  part  of  the  (N>untry,  and  the  fiirly  voyatrcra 
probably  came  thither  in  their  evpeditiims  to  obtain  timber  ;  but  the  iiistory 
of  Mainn  \va.<  nevorthelciss  almost  a  blanic  as  late  as  the  betjiniiini^  of  tlio  six- 
teeiitli  eentury.  About  five  years  after  tlu;  re-diseovery  of  Amorieu  by 
Columbus,  the  Cabot  brothers  sailed  southward  alon<^  tlio  coast  of  ^faino, 
thout^h  without  leavin'4  any  niojnorial.  In  lodl  the  lliseay  lishenueu  aro 
knov.-n  to  have  frequented  the  neiL^hborint;  seas;  while  in  !.")•,' I  Verra/.zano 
cfMi»t(!d  these  romantic  shores,  bems^  followed  the  next  year  by  Stephen 
Gomez,  who  in  the  course  of  this  voyage  became  ac(|uainted  with  the  llud- 
»^o!i  Kiver,  namini^  it  Iliver  of  St.  Anthony.  Amoni,'  otlu'rs  who  visited  thirt 
region  about  this  jx-riod  was  the  l-'renehman  Jolm  Ailfonsec,  a  pilot  of 
Iloberval.  About  the  year  'ii)\'2  he  sailed  south,  and  founil  a  trreat  bay  in 
latitude 'I'-J''  N.,  which,  in  all  i)robability.  was  ^fassac^husetts  Bay.  A  copy  of 
hie  map  of  the  coast,  made  from  the  ori.irinal,  is  in  the  jiossessioii  of  the 
writer,  for  whom  it  was  made  by  M.  Davezac.  But  when  \vc  come  down  to 
10(1-2,  Gosnold  gives  ns  more  definite  d(>scriptions. 

This  navigator  sailed  from  Falmouth,  England,  March  2<>,  came  in  sight 
of  the  coast  of  ;^^aine  ^fay  4,  in  about  the  4'M  di'gree  of  north  latitude.  Tho 
land  seen  by  him  may  have  been  Agamenti<'us,  though  some  {x-rsons  ofTer  tho 
opinion  that  it  was  Mount  Desert,  fn  this  region  Gosnold  met  eight  Indians 
in  a  shallop,  which  th^y  ])robably  hail  obtained  of  some  T.iscay  fishermen. 

June  7,  the  year  following,  Martin  I'ring  came  in  sight  of  the  coast,  and 
afterwards  e.vplorcil  the  entire  seaboard.  The  accounts  whieh  he  gave  on 
hiri  return  were  reliable  and  exact. 

In  the  winter  of  HtOl-r).  ])e  .\Ionts  with  his  party,  who  came  from  l''raneo 
in  the  preceding  May,  lived  on  an  island  in  the  St.  (Jroix  Kiver.  In  tho 
spring,  Do  Monts,  attended  by  Champlain  and  other  gentlemen,  coasted 
southward  in  a  small  vessel,  erecting  a  cross  at  the  Kennebec,  and  takinfj 
formal  possession  of  the  territory  in  the  name  (jf  th(!  King  of  France:  not- 
withstanding tho  voyage  of  I'ring.  ai'cording  to  the  views  of  that  age,  g'.i\-0 
to  the  English  Crown  a  prior  right,  Champlain  went  as  far  south  as  Ciipe 
Cod.  where  he  was  wounded  in  a  fight  with  the  Indians.  The  map  of  the  coast 
drawn  by  him  was  the  most  exact  of  any  hitherto  made ;  still  it  was  sulTl- 
ciently  obscure. 

In  M)»y  of  the  sane  year,  George  Weymouth  came  out  with  an  expedition 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Earl  of  Southampton,  the  friend  of  Shakespeare, 


" 


10 


Mount  Desert, 


something  of  the  general  featnros  of  the  whole  coast, 
and  decided  to  take  all  the  principal  points  on  the  way 
from  the   Isles  of  Shoals  oil'  Portsmouth  I'^  irbor,  to 


and  on  the  seventeenth  of  the  month  renched  an  island  on  the  coast,  which 
he  called  St.  George.  This  island  was  probably  Monhegan.  He  afterwards 
eri^lorcd  the  country,  and  then  returned  to  England,  carrying  with  him 
several  Indians  whom  ho  kidnapped  for  the  purpose. 

In  lfJ07  George  Popham  attempted  to  found  a  colony  at  Sagadahoc, 
where  a  fort  and  various  buildings  were  erected.  His  first  thought  was  to 
commence  his  colony  on  Stage  Island,  but  he  afterwards  removed  to  the 
peninsula.  It  is  claimed,  though  with  no  very  strong  reasons,  that  this  was 
the  first  attempt  to  colonize  the  coast  of  Maine.  But  in  all  such  claims  local 
pride  is  liable  to  overreach  itself.  This  colony  at  Sagadahoc  was  composed 
chiefly  of  persons  more  or  less  attached  to  the  Church  of  England.  They 
Ijrought  their  chaplain  with  them,  and  held  Divine  Service  here  on  the  coast 
of  New  England,  thirteen  years  before  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims  landed  on  tho 
shores  of  Capo  Cod.  As  is  well  known,  after  making  a  fair  beginning,  they 
were  obliged  to  give  up  the  enterprise  and  return  to  England.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  popular  notion,  which  makes  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims  the  pioneers 
on  an  Tinknown  coast,  has  little  support  in  fact.  The  coast  for  nearly  a 
hundred  years  had  been  tolerably  well  known,  while  they  fell  npon  it  by 
mistake,  having  originally  laid  their  coun^e  for  the  Hudson  River. 

The  historj'  of  the  Maine  coast  is  yet  to  be  written  by  some  pei-son  possess- 
ing ampler  materials  than  are  yet  in  hand,  and  with  broader  sympathies  than 
any  heretofore  displayed. 

The  colony  established  in  1001-5  by  Do  ^Mnnts.  at  Port  Tloyul,  was  aban- 
doned, but  in  101 1  it  was  re-established  by  Pontrincourt,  who  brought  over 
Father  Pierre  Biard,  a  Jesuit  Professor  of  Theology  at  Lyons,  and  Father 
Masse.  The  next  year  the  ^farehioness  de  Guercheville,  the  warm  friend  and 
patron  of  the  mission,  induced  Dc  Monts  to  surrender  his  jiatent,  when  it 
was  conferred  xipon  her  by  Ijouis  XIIT.,  who  ad  led  all  the  territory  in 
America  between  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Florida,  with  the  cxcci^tiun  of  Port 
Royal,  which  liad  been  previously  confirmed  to  Pontrincourt.  In  1(')13  tho 
Marchioness  prepared  to  take  full  possession  of  her  territory  in  America.' 
Le  Saussaye  commanded  the  ship  that  was  ?ent  out,  and  with  him  went 
Fathers  Quentin  and  Lallemant,  and  Brot'ior  du  Thet.  Arriving  at  Port 
Royal,  they  found  Fathers  Biard  and  ]\rasse.  A  very  short  time  afterwards 
they  left  Port  Royal  in  the  "ILmfleur,"  to  establish  a  colony  at  Mount  Desert. 
This  was  eleven  years  after  Gosnold  began  his  settlement  at  Cuttyhunk,  and 
seven  years  before  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth. 


.  II  .  W9\\i  11  mp 


Mount  Desert. 


II 


Grand    Menan,  Hnothei-  isle  of  wonders,  lvin«'  in  tlio 
mouth  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy. 

Organizing  our  small  force,  we  started  for  Boston, 
from  whence  we  finally  reached  the  famous  Isles  of 
Shoals,  which  glitter  in  the  sea  in  sii,dit  of  Rye  (New 
Hampshire)  Beach.  At  the  ''  Hhoals  "  we  fairly  com- 
menced our  tour,  though  in  the  plan  of  this  book  the 
description  of  this  place  comes  towards  the  end.  But, 
before  proceeding  any  farther,  we  wish  to  say  some- 
thing definite  in  favor  of  Maine. 

Now  we  know  that  tnat  which  is  dearly  bought  is 
highly  prized  ;  and  hence  scenes  viewed  when  trnvd- 
ling  afar  are  esteemed  above  those  found  nigh  at 
hand.  Tourists  flock  annually  to  the  Okl  World  in 
search  of  natural  beauties,  as  if  there  were  nothing  in 
our  own  land  to  excite  admiration.  And  yet  we  liave 
every  variety  of  mountain  and  coast  scenery,  erpial,  if 
not  superior,  to  that  of  foi'eign  countries,  almost  within 
sight  of  all  our  doors. 

We  hear  much,  for  instance,  of  the  coast-scenery  of 
Cornwall,  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  the  Mediterranean, 
but  still  we  do  not  fear  to  place  in  comj^arison  the 
varied  and  romantic  beauties  of  the  coast  of  ]Mai!ie. 
The  entire  seaboard  is  frett^^'d  and  fringed  in  the  most 
remarkable  manner,  forming  a  long-drawn  labyiinth 
of  capes,  bays,  headlands,  and  isles.  The  minflin<'  of 
land  and  water  is  indeed  admirable.  Here  a  cape, 
clad  in  pine  greenery,  extends  out  into  the  sea,  coquet- 
tishly  encircling  a  great  field  of  blue  waves;  there  a 


12 


Mount  Desert. 


bold  lieadlaiul,  with  ifs  outlying  droii'^s,  niof^ts  and 
biifFcts  tlio  billows  with  catu[)iiltic  force  ;  liorc  the 
bri;^lit  fiord  runs  niorrily  np  into  the  land,  the  hills 
st(;pping  down  to  its  borders,  mirroring  their  outlines 
as  in  a  glass  ;  there  a  iiundred  isles  are  sown,  like 
sparkling  <nneralds,  in  the  sununer  sea. 

We  need  not  })luiige  into  the  wild  interior  of  Maine, 
and  wander  amid  its  mountains  and  Inkes  and  streams, 
in  order  to  discover  a  wealth  of  befiutv.  All  that  one 
can  reasonably'  desire  is  found  on  the  border.  Sailing 
aiortliNvard,  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  are  found  com- 
paratively uninteresting  until  we  a})proach  the  coast  of 
Maine,  when  all  tameness  vanishes,  and  the  shore  i)uts 
on  a  bold,  rugged  beauty  that  could  hardly  be  sur- 
passed. 

Whoever  carefully  examines  a  good  map  of  the 
continents  will  perceive  that,  in  a  multitude  of  cases, 
amounting  almost  to  a  general  ride,  the  capes  point 
southward,  and  that  groups  of  islands  Jire  found  south 
of  the  land.  Or  otherwise,  that,  as  we  proceed  soutli- 
Avard,  we  find  the  land  tapering  away  and  terminating 
in  islands.  This  we  have  sc^en  is  eminently  triui  of 
the  coast  of  Maine.  To  account  for  the  |)resent  con- 
figuration of  this  coast  is  extremely  ditlicidt.  It 
looks  as  if  its  shores  had  been  broken  and  serrated  by 
glaciers,  which,  as  Agassiz  tells  us,  once  covered  the 
entire  State.  Before  the  retreat  of  the  ice  period, 
those  vast  glaciers,  slowly  descending  from  the  moun- 
tains to  the  sea,  might  perhaps,   in  long  ages,  have 


mmk 


ITounf  Desert.  ^^■, 

thus  ploughed  out  portions  of  tlio  sl,o,vs,  fon,m,« 
capes  and  bays ;  yet  we  must  iu  many  cases  accouu^ 
for  the  islands  at  least,  l.y  other  causes.  Son,e  are 
clearly  the  result  of  upheaval,  while  others  n.av  have 
been  forme.l  by  the  sinking  of  neighboring  hJ.d  be- 
neath  the  surface  of  the  waves.  Yet,  however  this 
■nay  be,  the  coast  of  Maine  presents  an  a,,pearaneo 
similar  to  what  the  Duke  of  Bourbon  called,  "  that 
nook-shotten  isle  of  Albion."  And  from  its  broken 
outline  comes  its  beauty. 

And  it  will  be  the  aim  of  the  writer  in  the  present 
work  to  do  something  like  justice  to  this  really  re- 
markable  region,  which  is  one  that  in  the  course  of 
time  must  be  very  widely  known  an.l  thorou.dily  a„- 
preeiated  by  that  rapidly  increasing  elass  who  delight 
in  all  the  varied  an.l  wayward  moods  of  Natur^^so 
splendidly  illustrated  among  the  mountains  and  alon^ 
the  shores  between  the  Isles  of  Shoals  and  Grand 
JMenan. 

As  regards  the  accommodations  for  travel,  eompara- 
tivcly  httle  has  been  said,  though  they  will  be  found 
quite  ample.  They  are  subject  to  more  or  less  change 
from  season  to  season,  an.l  are  at  the  same  time  iin-  - 
proving.  New  resorts  are  continually  being  found 
out,  which  necessitates  new  means  of  communication. 
For  Mount  Desert  direct,  the  fovorite  route  from 
Boston  IS  by  rail  to  Portland,  and  thence  by  steamer 
to  oouthwost  an<I  Bar  Harbors:  though  such  as  have 
an  unconquerable  dread  of  ihe  sea  can  proceed  by  rail 


14  Mount  Desert. 

to  Bill  1^:^01',  and  reach  tlie  island  bv  the  stafje  route.  But 
thus  they  miss  one  great  charm,  namely,  the  ocean 
views  of  Mount  r>esert,  which,  to  be  thoroughly  en- 
joyed, must  be  seen  from  every  point  of  approach. 

It  should  also  be  i*emem.bered  that  the  steamer  now 
runs  regularly,  in  the  season,  from  Portsmouth  to  the 
Isles  of  Slioals  ;  while  a  similar  swifo  and  reliable  con- 
venience connects  Eastport  w^ith  Grand  Menan,  thus 
divesting  the  journey  to  that  remarkable  place  of  all 
the  uncertainties  and  risks  that  in  former  times  pre- 
vented so  many  from  enjoying  its  attractions,  now 
placed  oidy  a  couple  of  hours,  at  the  farthest,  from  the 
neigliboring  main,  llailway  guides  will  enable  the 
tourist  to  count  the  cost. 

For  such  as  live  to  eat,  and  are  curious  about  the 
matter  of  lodgings,  there  can  be  but  little  more  than 
the  general  remark,  that,  both  as  regards  quality  and 
expense,  the  same  variation  is  found  on  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  that  is  characteristic  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
Slender  consolations,  indeed  !  At  any  moment  the 
feast  may  be  turned  into  a  famine.  It  will  be  the 
business  of  Jenkins,  who  has  fared  sumptuously 
(and  freely)  at  the  one,  to  warn  you,  specially,  of  the 
other.  After  the  elegant  entertainments  of  Portland 
and  Appledore  (Isles  of  Shoals),  the  tourist  will  expe- 
rience a  steady  decline ;  on  the  way  down  in  the  scale 
reaching  the  average  at  Mount  Desert ;  and  touching 
bottom  with  the  necessarily  frugal  fare  of  Grand 
Menan.     All,  save  epicures,  wdll  find  the  real  feast 


Mottnt  Desert, 


15 


everywhere  spread  out  of  doors,  free  of  cost  to  every 
comer.  It  is  this  class  for  whom  the  author  caters; 
and  if  they  cannot  rest  satisfied  during  a  summer  vaca- 
tion with  wliat  the  foHowing  pages  offer,  they  will  do 
well  by  staying  away  from  the  New  England  coast  al- 
together. 


i 


MOUNT      DESERT. 

CHAP  T  E  R     II. 

Depautuhi:  from  tiii:  Isles  of  Shoals  — Aoamenticus  — 
Night  — Sunrise— Uecalmed— The  View  of  Mount 
Deseut  —  Ashore  —  The  Mountains. 

ANDERING  along  the  coast,  we  found 
ourselves,  iu  course  of  time,  at  the  Isles  of 
Shoals,  where  we  took  passage  in  a  trim- 
looking  schooner  for  Mount  Desert.  We 
sailed  in  the  morning  with  a  fresh  southerly  breeze. 
It  was  not  long  before  we  had  a  fine  view  of  Agamen- 
ticus,  which  rises  to  the  height  of  several  hundred  feet, 
send  in  IX  out  its  ijreetinij  from  afar. 

At  this  point,  ]Mr.  Oldstyle,  the  chief  Historian  of 
the  party,  and  who  is  really  to  be  held  responsible  for 
the  most  of  what  is  said  in  the  previous  chapter, 
felt  a  slight  attack  of  sea-sickness ;  yet  his  unfjiiling 
enthusiasm,  united  with  the  potent  virtues  of  a  lemon, 
kept  him  up,  and  he  managed  to  relate  many  things 
about  Agamenticus  in  the  days  of  yore,  and,  among 
others,  that  this  place  was  early  designed  to  be  a 
sort  of  metropolitan  city.  In  1G42  Edward  Godfrey 
was  duly  appointed  the  mayor,  while  the  same  author- 
ity provided  for  two  fairs  to  be  "held  and  kept"  there 


f: 


I 


JMount  Desert. 


17 


n  of 

for 
fter, 
ling 
Inoii, 
|ings 
long 
(e    a 
frey 
hor- 
lliere 


"every  year,  forever  thereafter"  upon  the  Festivals  of 
SS.  flames'  and  Paul's.  The  fate  of  this  embryo 
citv  rcmiuds  us  of  the  fact  that  the  best  laid  plans  of 
:  mice  and  men  oft  "gang  ;<glo3\"  Nevertheless,  Ag- 
amenticus  forms  a  noble  land-mark. 

The  8ki[)per  here  gave  tlie  coast  a  wide  berth,  and 
hiid  liis  course  due  north-east,  shortly  running  down 
tlie  hind,  though  not  before  we  had  gained  a  glimpse 
of  the  distant  peak  of  Mount  Washington.  The  wind 
held  fresh  until  sunset,  and  by  nightfall  the  schooner 
was  oft*  Penobscot  Bay,  wlien  the  light-house  on 
Mount  Desert  Rock  opened  its  bright  eye. 

Our  progress  during  the  niglit  was  slow,  but  when 
morning  dawned  we  were  not  far  from  the  isle  of  our 
dreams.  I  was  aroused  from  my  slumbers  by  Old 
Sol  himself,  who,  like  some  rude  linkboy  thrusting  his 
torch  in  one's  face,  rose  from  the  sea  and  sent  a  broad 
beam  in  through  the  little  cabin  window  into  my  berth, 
hitting  me  squarely  in  the  eye.  Thereupon  I  resolved 
to  rise.  But  Mr.  Oldstyle,  fuDy  determined  to  have  the 
first  glimpse  of  the  land,  was  ahead  of  me;  and  while 
I  was  pulling  on  my  boots,  disappeared  up  the  com- 
panion-way in  his  smart,  swallow-tailed  coat,  with  a 
long  spy-glass  under  his  arm.  Aureole,  a  young  gen- 
tleman of  our  party,  who,  under  the  influence  of  Nep- 
tune, was  very  quiet  the  day  before,  followed  him,  hav- 
ing now  got  his  "sea-legs"  on  ;  and  before  I  could  get 
on  deck  I  heard  him  enijasinfj  in  the  following  brief 
colloquy : 


■o"o' 


m  '     T 


i8 


Mount  Desert. 


"  Wliat  land  's  that,  Skipper?" 

"]M()uiit  Desert,  I  reckon,"  was  the  reply,  putting 
tlie  accent  on  tlie  hist  sylhible  of  "  Desert." 

"How  far  off?" 

"Six  or  eight  miles,  ma'  he." 

"Wlien  are  we  going  to  get  there  ?" 

"Don't  know." 

Thereupon  I  thought  it  high  time  to  inquire  into 
the  real  state  of  affairs;  and  accordingly  I  hurried  on 
deck,  and  found  that  there  was  a  dead  calm,  the  main- 
sail hanging  perpendicularly  from  its  gaff,  our  little 
craft  appearing  altogether 

"As  idle  as  n  painted  ship 
Upon  a  painted  ocean." 

Yet  it  was  a  splendid  morning ;  and,  besides,  there 
lay  our  enchanted  isle,  towering  up  out  of  tlie  calm 
sea,  veiled  in  a  thin  mist,  and  gilded  all  over  w  ith  the 
ifolden  fdories  of  the  risinir  sun. 

In  order  to  find  a  scene  that  will  equal  this,  we 
must  sail  far  away  into  the  Pacific  Sea.  At  a  distance 
the  isl;ind  appears  like  a  single  mountain,  of  great 
height,  green  around  its  sides,  and  bare  at  the 
summit,  which,  on  this  occasion,  gleamed  upon  us 
through  the  mist  like  a  pinnacle  of  gold. 

We  sat  long  gazing  upon  this  beautiful  prospect, 
not  even  desiring  to  come  nearer,  lest  the  vision 
should  be  dispelled.  Yet  with  the  sun  came  a  light 
breeze,  and  as  it  approached  in  the  distance,  rippling 


]\Iount  Dcscn. 


19 


ttmg 


)   into 

ed  on 

maln- 

littlo 


5,  there 

calm 

til  the 


liis,  ^ve 
iistancc 

'  jTvcat 
at    the 

ion   us 

rospcct, 
vision 
a  light 

rippling 


■:# 


tlie  surface  of  the  still  sea,  tlie  Skipper  unlashed  the 
helm,  and  stood  ready  to  steer  Iiis  craft  into  port.  And 
^vhen  the  hreeze  came,  it  barelvswunijont  tlie  schoon- 
er's  boom,  thongh  at  last  we  managed  to  get  steerage- 
way,  and  sailed  slowly,  wing  and  wing,  and  with  a 
sort  of  classic  pomj),  the  gull  wheeling  and  the  por- 
poise diving,  and  l)oth  showing  a  sort  of  welcome  by 
escortinij  us  on  our  vovaije. 

In  due  time  we  entered  the  Harbor,  went  ashore, 
and  found  comfortabk^  quarters. 

After  beinij  dulv  refreshed,  we  turned  to  the  Gazet- 
tcpr,  and  f)und  it  stated  that  Mount  Desert  is  an 
island  lying  off  the  coast  of  Maine,  at  a  <listance  of 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  east  of  Portland,  ])t'ing 
connected  with  the  main-land  by  a  bridge.  Mr.  Old- 
style,  after  consulting  his  notes,  said  that  it  was  seen  by 
Cham[)lain  in  1005,  who  called  it  3fons  Desert.  It  is 
anything  but  a  desert.  ChampUiin  judged  of  its  char- 
acter by  the  mountain-peak,  so  prominent  when  viewed 
from  a  distance,  and  which  Whittier  calls  the  "  Bald 
mountain's  shrubless  brow,"  and 

"  Tho  ffray  aiifl  tlumdcr-smitten  pile 
"Which  marks  afar  tho  Desert  Isle." 

This  land  is  to  be  distinguished  from  Mount  Desert 
Rock,  which  lies  in  the  ocean,  fifteen  miles  south  of  the 
island,  affording  just  room  enough  for  the  light-house. 
Mount  Desert  Jiock  is  alluded  to  by  Whittier,  and  I 
give  his  description,  because  it  is  as  good  as  a  photo- 
graph.    He  writes : 


n 


20 


Mottnt  Dcscft. 


"And  Desert  Rock,  abriipt  and  bare, 
Lifts  its  firay  turret  in  the  air  — 
Seen  from  afar,  like  ponic  stronghold, 
Built  by  the  occau  kings  of  old." 

Tliis  island  contains  about  one  hundred  square 
miles.  It  is  fourteen  miles  long,  and,  on  an  average, 
about  seven  wide,  its  longer  axis  lying  nearly  north 
and  south.  On  the  east  side  a  tongue  of  the  sea  ex- 
tends seven  miles  into  the  land,  and  is  called  Somes' 
Sound.  On  either  side  of  the  entrance  to  this  Sound 
is  a  small  harbor,  one  being  called  the  North-east,  and 
the  other  the  South-west  Harbor.  Bar  Harbor,  where 
the  steamer  has  a  landing,  is  on  the  north-east  side  of 
the  island.  Here  one  of  the  Porcupine  Islands  is 
joined  to  Mount  Desert  by  a  sandy  bar.  Other 
islands  are  scattered  around  on  every  hand,  adding 
greatly  to  the  effect  of  the  scenery. 

But  the  mountains  are  the  great  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  the  island.  They  are  situated  in  its  southern 
part,  and  form  thirteen  distinct  peaks,  which  descend 
by  gradual  slopes  towards  the  west,  and  end  at  the 
east,  in  most  cases,  with  abrupt  precipices,  four  of 
which  look  down  upon  glittering  lakes,  while  a  fifth 
reflects  its  image  in  the  briny  waters  of  Somes' 
Sound. 

The  highest  peak  is  that  of  Green  Mountain,  upon 
which  the  officers  of  the  Coast  Survey  built  their  ob- 
servatory, and  which  served  as  the  chief  point  in  their 
complicated  series  of  triangulations.    The  height  of 


Muunt  DlsctI, 


21 


a  ex- 


tliis  mountain  is  computed  at  fifteen  hundred  and 
thirtv-five  feet  above  the  k'vel  of  tlie  sea.  TlR'se 
mountains  are  the  bones  of  the  eartli,  which,  being 
broken  and  u[)heaved,  form  some  of  our  most  striking 
and  beautiful  scenery,  giving  us  lovely  valleys,  wild 
mountain  passes  and  sparkling  fresh-water  lakes,  within 
the  sound  of  the  murnuiring  sea.  This  leads  to  a  re- 
mark on  one  feature  of  JMount  Desert,  which  combines 
the  characteristics  of  seashore  and  inland,  Newport 
and  the  Catskills.  1  say  the  Catskills,  and  not  the 
AVliite  Mountains,  because  the  great  grandeur,  and 
often  the  sublimity  of  the  lattcv,  will  not  allow  of  a 
comparison.  Yet  here  we  have  the  same  iVy/c,  if 
not  the  same  degree,  of  beauty.  The  AVhite-Moun- 
tain  Notch  is  here  rei)resented,  not  unworthily,  by  the 
celebrated  Notch  which  is  situated  between  Dry  and 
Newport  Mountain,  on  the  road  from  Jiar  Harbor 
to  Otter  Creek.  AVandcring  alone  in  the  stillness  of 
this  wild  and  romantic  retreat,  one  can  scarcely  real- 
ize that  he  is  indeed  so  near  the  shore  of  the  loud- 
sounding  sea.  Mrs.  Browning's  description  of  her 
imaginary  island  applies  with  equal  fitness  to  this, 
when  she  writes; 


"An  island  full  of  hills  and  dells, 

All  rumpled  and  uneven 
With  j»rcen  recesses,  sudden  swells, 

And  odorous  valleys,  driven 
So  deep  and  straight,  that  always  there 

The  wind  is  cradled  to  soft  air." 


22 


Jiloimt  Dcsat. 


But  all  tliese  features  of  Jlount  Desert,  with  its 
lalies  and  ,,onds  and  cliffs  and  trout-brooks  and  pic- 
turesque .shores,  will  be  described  in  detail  elsewhere  • 
so  let  us  not  anticipate  the  feast  with  a  few  crumbs 


A      RAINY      MORNING       WITH 
THE       JESUITS. 

CHAPTER      III. 

A  Storm  Brewing  —  Coxsultation  —  A  Vote  tor   His- 
tory- BiARD  — A  False  Alarm. 

AVING  gained  a  general  acquaintance 
with  the  phice,  posted  ourselves  with 
regard  to  the  routes,  and  the  best  way 
of  ''doing"  the  island,  an  easterly  storm 
came  on,  which  promised  to  keep  us  indoors  for  a 
couple  of  days.  A  storm  on  the  shore  of  Blount 
Desert  affords  many  a  faie  sight,  yet  we  did  not 
come  to  see  what  il^olus  could  do  in  tossimr  brc^ak- 
ers.  I\evertlieless,  we  accepted  the  situation,  and 
when  we  found  the  crale  risino;,  and  the  ijrcat  rain- 
drops  dashing  against  the  windo\\s,  we  laid  aside 
our  canes  and  extemporized  alpenstocks,  and  as- 
sembled in  the  little  parlor  for  mutual  counsel  and 
advice. 

And  what  should  we  do  ?  Various  propositions  were 
made,  but  nothing  seemed  to  meet  the  views  of  our 
party,  which  had  l)een  increased  by  the  addition  of 
three  or  four  ver}^  pleasant  and  companionable  persons, 


T 


i  I 


24       A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  ycstiits. 

many  of  whom  we  always  find  here.  Finally  it  was 
proposed  to  have  a  reading,  and  one  suggested  that  it 
should  be  historic.  The  countenance  of  our  antiqua- 
rian friend,  ^Ir.  Oldstyle,  beamed  with  satisfaction  at 
this,  yet  his  expression  quickly  changed  when  Aureole, 
a  youthful  family  connection,  broke  out,  saying,  "Yes, 
exactly,  let  us  have  Mr.  Pickwick's  monogra])h  on 
the  source  of  Ilampstead  Ponds."  But  Mr.  Old- 
style  met  this  exhibition  of  unseemly  levity  with  such 
a  severe  frown,  and  looked  so  concerned  for  the  dig- 
nity of  history,  that,  while  a  young  lady  giggled,  the 
res*,  of  the  company  quite  failed  to  see  the  point  of 
the  joke.  Therefore  our  worthy  friend  imi")roved  the 
occasion  to  remind  us  of  the  wish  expressed  before 
leaving  home,  to  read  the  account  of  the  planting  and 
destruction  of  the  French  colony  of  Mount  Desert,  on 
the  ground,  and  amid  the  scenes  where  the  events  oc- 
curred. We  therefore  decided  to  have  a  Morning  with 
the  Jesuits.  Mr.  Oldstyle  accordingly  produced  a  roll 
of  manuscript  containing  a  translation  of  Father 
Biard's  Narrative,  as  given  in  the  first  volume  of 
the  lidations  des  Jesuitcs,  recently  published  at 
(Juebec,  "a  better  knowledge  of  which,"  said  Mr. 
Oldstyle,  as  he  looked  up  at  us  over  his  spectacles, 
"  would  have  saved  many  writers  on  this  subject  from 
serious  blunders." 

It  is  a  notable  fact  that  this  subject  has  often 
been  treated  with  perfect  recklessness.  Bancroft 
states   in    the  earlier   editions  of    his   History   that 


A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  'Jesuits. 


25 


t  was 
that  it 
itiqua- 
ion  at 
Lircole, 

"Yes, 
<ph  on 
•.  01(1- 
h  such 
lie  dig- 
.ed,  the 
oiiit  of 
vcd  the 

before 
ing  and 
;sert,  on 
lents  ce- 
ll g  with 
d  a  roll 

Father 

lume   of 

Ihed    at 

id   Mr. 

ctacles, 

ct  from 

IS  often 
Bancroft 
ly    that 


the  French  Colony  of  St.  Savior  was  established  on  the 
*'  north  bank  of  the  Penobscot,"  while  his  last  revision 
puts  it  on  the  east  side  of  the  Isle  of  Mount  Desert. 
The  date  of  this  attempt  at  colonization  by  the  French 
has  seldom  been  stated  with  any  accuracy,  while  in  re- 
gard to  the  period  of  time  spent  by  the  French  on  the 
island  few  seem  to  have  known  anything  at  all.  Some 
observations  to  this  effect  were  made,  and  attention  was 
called  to  the  fact  that  the  old  inhabitants  of  the  isle  were 
reckless  on  this  point.  Whereupon  Aureole  confidently 
offered  the  opinion  that  history  was  "  all  bosh,   any 


»> 


way 

^Ii*.  Oldstyle  received  this  remark  of  his  young  re- 
lative with  silent  indignation;  yet, while  proceeding  to 
unroll  his  manuscript,  he  took  occasion  to  confess  that 
history,  and  especially  American  history,  was  often 
pursued  in  a  spirit  productive  of  little  real  good,  the 
truth  being  too  often  lield  subservient  to  popular 
tradition. 

Mr.  Oldstyle,  though  somewhat  advanced  in  years, 
evidently  leaned  toward  the  new  school  of  history, 
now  springing  up,  which  is  devoted  to  the  elucida- 
tion of  Truth,  without  any  reference  to  its  cost.  lie 
did  not,  however,  think  it  worth  while  to  enter  upon  a 
discussion  of  these  points ;  and,  accordingly,  after 
briefly  stating  the  reasons  which  led  the  French  col- 
onists to  establish  themselves  on  the  coast  of  Maine, 
hi  1013,  he  began  as  follows: 


irr 


26        A  RatJiy  Moaning  zvith  the  ycsuiis, 

iTatljci*  Uiavb's  lUlation, 

"We  were  detained  five  days  at  Port  Eoyal,  by  ad- 
verse winds,  when  a  favorable  north-caster  having 
arisen,  we  set  out  with  the  intention  of  sailing  up 
Pentcgoet  [Penobscot]  River,  to  a  jilace  called  Kades- 
quit,  which  had  been  allotted  for  our  new  residence, 
and  which  possessed  great  advantages  for  this  purpose. 
But  God  willed  otherwise,  for  when  we  had  reached 
the  south-eastern  coast  of  the  Island  of  Menan,  the 
weather  changed,  and  the  sea  was  covered  with  a  fog 
60  dense  that  we  could  not  distinguish  day  from  night. 
We  were  greatly  alarmed,  for  this  place  is  full  of 
breakers  and  rocks,  upon  which,  in  the  darkness,  we 
feared  our  vessel  might  drift.  The  wind  not  permit- 
ting us  to  put  out  to  sea,  we  remained  in  this  position 
two  days  and  two  nights,  veering  sometimes  to  one 
side,  sometimes  to  another,  as  God  inspired  us.  Our 
tribulation  led  us  to  pray  to  God  to  dcli\  cr  us  from 
danger,  and  send  us  to  some  place  where  we  might 
contribute  to  His  glory.  He  heard  us,  in  His  mercy, 
for  on  the  same  evening  we  began  to  discover  the  stars, 
and  in  the  morning  the  fog  had  cleared  away.  We 
then  discovered  that  we  were  near  the  coast  of  Mount 
Desert,  an  island  which  the  savages  call  Pemetic. 
The  pilot  steered  towards  the  eastern  shore,  and  land- 
ed us  in  a  large  and  beautiful  harbor.  We  returned 
thanks  to  God,  elevating  the  Cross,  and  singing  praises 
with  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  We  named  the 
place  and  harbor  St.  Savior.'* 


A  Rainy  Morning  witJi  tJie  Jesuits, 


^7 


This  harbor,  Mr.  Oldstyle  thought,  w'as  North-east 
Harbor,  though,  in  the  absence  of  authorities,  he 
would  not  be  too  positive.     lie  then  continued : 

"  Now  in  this  port  of  St.  Savior  a  violent  quarrel 
arose  between  our  sailors  and  crew  and  the  other  pas- 
sengers. The  cause  of  it  vvas  that  the  charter  granted, 
and  the  agreement  made  in  France,  was  to  the  effect 
that  the  said  sailors  should  be  bound  to  put  into  any 
port  in  Acadia  that  we  should  designate,  and  should 
remain  there  three  months.  The  sailors  maintained 
that  they  had  arrived  in  a  port  in  Acadia,  and  that 
the  said  term  of  three  months  ought  to  date  from  this 
arrival.  To  this  it  was  answered  that  this  port  was 
not  the  one  designated,  which  was  Kadesquit,  and 
therefore  that  the  time  they  were  in  St.  Savior  was 
not  to  be  taken  into  account.  The  pilot  held  obsti- 
nately to  a  contrary  opinion,  maintaining  that  no  ves- 
sel had  ever  landed  at  Kadesquit,  and  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  become  a  discoverer  of  new  routes.  There 
was  much  argument  for  and  against  these  views,  dis- 
cussions were  being  carried  on  incessantly,  a  bad  omen 
for  the  future. 

"While  this  question  was  pending,"  says  the  Father, 
*'the  Savages  made  a  fire,  in  order  that  we  might  see 
the  smoke.  This  signal  meant  that  they  had  observed 
us,  and  wished  to  know  if  we  needed  them,  which  wo 
did.  The  pilot  took  the  opportunity  to  tell  them  that 
the  Fathers  from  Port  Royal  were  in  his  ship.  The 
Sav-ages  replied  that  they  would  be  very  glad  to  see  one 


28        A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  Jesuits. 

whom  they  had  known  at  Pentegoet  two  years  before. 
This  was  Father  Biarcl,  who  went  immediately  to  see 
them,  and  inquired  the  route  to  Kadesquit,  informing 
them  that  he  intended  to  reside  there.  ^But,'  said 
they,  '  if  you  desire  to  remain  there,  why  do  you  not 
remain  instead  with  us,  who  have  as  good  a  place  as 
Kadesquit  is?'  They  then  began  to  praise  their  set- 
tlement, assuring  him  that  it  was  so  healthy  and  so 
pleasant,  that  when  the  natives  were  sick  anywhere 
else  they  were  brought  there  and  were  cured.  These 
eulogies  did  not  greatly  impress  Father  Biard,  because 
he  knew  sufficiently  well  that  the  Savages,  like  other 
people,  overrated,  sometimes,  their  own  possessions. 
Nevertheless,  they  understood  how  to  induce  him  to 
remain,  for  they  said :  '  You  nmst  come,  for  our  Sag- 
amore Asticou  is  dangerously  ill,  and  if  you  do  not 
come,  he  will  die  without  baptism,  and  will  not  go  to 
heaven,  and  you  will  be  the  cause  of  it,  for  he  wishes 
to  be  baptized.'  The  reason,  so  naturally  given,  made 
Father  Biard  hesitate,  and  they  finally  persuaded  him 
to  go,  since  he  had  but  three  leagues  to  travel,  and 
there  would  be  no  greater  loss  of  time  than  a  single 
afternoon." 

Here  the  reader  paused  to  tell  us  that  one  edition 
of  Biard  says  that  this  spot  was  separated  from  the 
inland  of  Mount  Desert,  which,  by  the  French,  was 
supposed  to  include  only  the  land  lying  east  of  Somes' 
Sound.     He  then  continued: 

"We  embarked  in  their  canoe  with  Sicnr  do  la 
Motte,  and  Simon,  the  Interpreter,  and  we  set  out. 


A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  ycstiits.        29 

"  When  we  arrived  at  Asticou's  wigwam,  we  foiincl 
him  ill,  but  not  dangerously  so,  for  he  was  only  suf- 
fering from  rheumatism ;  and  finding  this,  we  decided 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  place  which  the  Indians  had 
boasted  was  so  much  better  than  Kadesquit  for  the  res- 
idence of  Frenchmen.  We  found  that  the  Savaws 
had  in  reality  reasonable  grounds  for  their  eulogies. 
We  felt  very  well  satisfied  with  it  ourselves,  and,  hav- 
ing brought  these  tidingi  to  the  remainder  of  the  crew, 
it  was  unanimously  agreed  that  we  should  remain 
there,  and  not  seek  further,  seeing  that  God  himself 
seemed  to  intend  it,  by  the  train  of  happy  accidents 
that  had  occurred,  and  by  the  miraculous  cure  of  a 
child,  which  I  shall  relate  elsewhere. 

"This  place  is  a  beautiful  hill,  sloping  gently  from 
the  sea-shore,  and  supplied  with  water  by  a  spring  on 
each  side.  The  ground  comprises  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  acres,  covered  with  grass,  which,  in  some  places, 
reaches  the  height  of  a  man.  It  fronts  the  south  and 
east,  towards  Pentegoet  Bay,  into  which  are  discharged 
the  waters  of  several  pretty  streams,  abounding  in 
fish.  The  soil  is  rich  and  fertile.  The  port  and  har- 
bor are  the  finest  possible,  in  a  position  commanding 
the  entire  coast;  the  harbor  especially  is  smooth  as  a 
pond,  being  shut  in  by  the  large  island  of  Mount  Des- 
ert, besides  being  surrounded  by  certain  small  islands 
which  break  the  force  of  the  winds  and  waves,  and 
fortify  the  entrance.  It  is  large  enough  to  hold  any 
fleet,  and  is  navigable  for  the  largest  ships  up  to  a 


30 


A  Rainy  Aloiming  with  the  ycsidts. 


cable's  length  from  the  shore.  It  is  in  latitade  forty- 
four  and  one-half  degrees  north,  a  position  more 
northerly  than  that  of  Bordeaux." 

Mr.  Oldstyle  here  also  gave  as  his  opinion  that  the 
place  finally  fixed  upon  as  the  site  for  their  new  habi- 
tation was  located  on  the  western  side  of  Somes' 
Sound,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Fernald.  The  reader  then 
vrcnt  on : 

"When  we  had  landed  in  this  place,  and  planted 
the  Cross,  we  began  to  work,  and  with  the  work  be- 
gan our  disputes,  the  omen  and  origin  of  our  misfor- 
tunes. The  cause  of  these  disj^utes  w^as  that  our  Cap- 
tain, La  Saussaye,  wished  to  attend  to  agriculture,  and 
our  other  leaders  besought  him  not  to  occupy  the 
Vv'orkmen  in  that  manner,  and  so  delay  the  erection  of 
dwellings  and  fortifications.^  He  would  not  comply 
with  their  request,  and  from  these  disputes  arose  oth- 
ers, which  lasted  until  the  English  obliged  us  to  make 
peace  in  the  manner  I  am  about  to  relate." 

Mr.  Oldstyle  omitted  Biard's  statement  of  the  posi« 
tion  of  the  English  in  America,  in  which  he  declares 
that  the  distance  intervening  between  their  colony  and 
those  of  the  French  rendered  all  quarreling  needless. 
Continuing: 

"The  English  colonists  in  Virginia  are  in  the  habit 
of  coming  every  year  to  the  islands  of  Pencoit,  twen- 

(1)  llorc  Faflicr  Biard  leaves  it  undecided  wlictlicr  any  fortiflca- 
tioiis  were  put  up ;  but  Charlevoix  eaj  s  that  they  "  hastily  threw  up 
a  slight  entrenchment." 


A  Rainy  Morning  ivith  tJic  ycsiiits.        3 1 

ty-five  leagues  from  St.  Savior,  in  order  to    provide 
food  [fisli]  for  the  winter.      AVliile  on   their   way,  as 
usual,  in  the  summer  of  the  year  IGl^,  they  were  over- 
taken out  at  sea  by  fogs  and  mists,  which  in  this  region 
often    overspread    both    land    and   sea,  in    summer. 
These  lasted  some  days,  during  which  the  tide  drifted 
them  gradually   farther  than   they  intended.      They 
were  about  eighty  leagues  farther  in  New  France  than 
thoy  supposed,  but  they  did  not  recognize  the  place." 
Here  our  excellent  friend,  who  never  hesitated  to 
call  a  spade  a  spade,  explained  to  us  that  this  was  the 
ship  of  Samuel  Argall,  ostensibly  a  trader,  but  prac- 
tically a  pirate,  like  a  large  number  of  men  of  his 
class,  who,  in  those  early  times,  roved  the  seas.     lie 
had  sailed  the  previous  JMay  for  the  Isles  of  Shoals, 
to  catch  codlish,  in  a  vessel  carrying  fourteen  guns  and 
sixty  men,  and  now  he  had  lost  his  reckoning  in  the 
fog,  and  improved  the  occasion  to  murder  and  plunder 
the  French.    In  his  letter  to  Nicholas  Ilawes,  said  Mr. 
Oldstyle,  sarcastically,  he  speaks  of  his  fisliing  voyage, 
in  which  he  beseeches  "  God  of  his  mercy  to  bless  us." 
Aureole  put  in  the  remark,  that  "  lie  was  doubtless  as 
respectable  a  man  as  a  good  many  others  never  found 
out;"    which  remark,  though    felt,  was    ignored,  as 
Mr.  Oldstyle  was  somewhat  averse  to  the  encourage- 
ment of  such  unsettling  opinions  among  the  young. 
Failing  in  this,  the  festive  Aureole,  who  had  been 
sitting  astride  his  chair,  with  his  chin   resting   upon 
the  top  bar,  looking  out  of  the  window,  now  fancied 


i 


32 


A  Rainy  Morning  wit/:  tJie  ycsuits. 


he  saw  a  sliip  nmning  into  the  harbor,  tlirough  the 
driving  rain  and  fog.  lie  consequently  interrul^ted 
the  reading  by  calling  the  company  to  view  this 
unexpected  visitor,  while  Mr.  Oldstyle  laid  aside  his 
spectacles,  and  aimed  mine  host's  spy-glass  toward  the 
point  indicated  by  Aureole.  But  nothing  could  be 
seen,  while  Aureole  himself  suggested  that  it  was  the 
Flying  Dutchman.  Mr.  Oldstyle,  however,  suspected 
that  it  was  simply  a  ruse  to  break  up  the  reading, 
which  Aureole  viewed  as  a  sort  of  bore.  Never- 
theless, we  all  took  our  seats  again,  except  Aureole, 
who  went  to  look  into  the  condition  of  his  fishing- 
tackle,  while  Mr.  Oldstyle  benignantly  put  on  hia 
spectacles  to  resume  the  story.  But  the  remainder 
must  be  reserved  for  the  next  chapter. 


A      RAINY      MORNING       WITH 
THE       JESUITS, 

[CONTINUED.] 

CHAPTER      IV. 

AiiGALL  ArrKARS  — Tin:  Fight  — The  ScRiiENDEn  — Death 
or    i)U  Tiiet  —  The    Fate    of    the    Fuench  — Argall's 

DeTAUTURE   and   KeTURX  —  BlARD. 


ILENCE  once  more  prevailed  in  our  little 
circle,  though  the  storm  continued  with- 
out, and  as  we  glanced  across  South-west 
Harbor,  we  saw  that 

"  Thro'  ficudiling  drifts  the  rainy  Ilyadcs 
Vcxt  the  dim  sea." 


Accordingly  Mr.  Oldstylc  resumed  the  story,  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Some  Savages  observed  their  vessel  and  went  to 
mcco  them,  supposing  them  to  be  Frenchmen  in  search 
of  them.  The  English  understood  nothing  of  what 
the  Savages  said,  but  conjectured  from  their  signs  that 
there  was  a  vessel  near,  and  that  this  vessel  was 
French.  They  understood  the  word  'Normans,' 
which  the  Savages  called  us,  and  in  the  polite  gestures 
of   the  natives,  thev  recoixnized  the  French  ceremo- 


34        '^  Rainy  Morning  with  the  ycsuits, 

nies  of  courtesy.  Tiien  the  Englisli,  wlio  were  in 
need  of  provisions,  and  of  every  thing  else,  ragged, 
half  naked,  and  in  search  of  jdunder,  inquired  care- 
fully how  large  our  vessel  was,  how  many  canoes  we 
had,  how  many  men,  etc.,  and  having  received  a  satis- 
factory answer,  uttered  cries  of  joy,  demonstrating 
that  they  had  found  what  they  wanted,  and  that  they 
intended  to  attack  us.  The  Savages  did  not  interpret 
it  so,  however,  for  they  supposed  the  English  to  be 
our  friends,  who  desired  earnestly  so  see  us.  Accord- 
ingly one  of  them  guided  the  English  to  our  vessel. 
As  soon  as  the  English  saw  us  they  began  to  prepare 
for  combat,  and  their  guide  then  saw  that  he  had  made 
a  mistake,  and  began  to  weep  and  curse  those  who  had 
deceived  him.  Many  times  afterwards  he  wept  and 
implored  pardon  for  his  error  of  us,  and  of  the  other 
Savages,  because  they  wished  to  avenge  our  misfor- 
tunes on  him,  believing  that  he  had  acted  through 
malice. 

"  On  seeing  this  vessel  approach  us,  we  knew  not 
whether  we  were  to  see  friends  or  enemies,  Fiench- 
men  or  foreigners.  The  pilot  therefore  went  forward 
in  a  sloop  to  reconnoitre,  while  the  rest  were  arming 
themselves.  La  Saussaye  remained  ashore,  and  with 
him  the  greater  number  of  the  men.  Lieutenant  La 
Motte,  Ensign  Ronfere,  Sergeant  Joubert,  and  the  rest 
wxnt  on  board  the  ship. 

*'  The  English  vessel  moved  quickly  as  an  arrow,  hav- 
ing the  wind  astern.    It  was  hung  at  the  waist  with  red, 


A  Rainy  Morning  ivitJi  the  ycsnits.       35 

the  arms  of  P^ngland  floated  over  it,  and  three  trum- 
pets and  two  drums  were  ready  to  sound.  Our  pilot, 
who  had  gone  forward  to  reconnoitre,  did  not  return 
to  the  ship,  fearing,  as  he  said,  to  fall  into  their  hands, 
to  avoid  which,  he  rowed  himself  around  an  island. 
Thus  the  ship  did  not  contain  one-half  its  crew,  and 
was  defended  only  by  ten  men,  of  whom  but  one.  Cap- 
tain Flory,  had  had  any  experience  in  naval  con- 
tests. Although  not  wanting  in  prudence  or  courage, 
the  Captain  had  not  time  to  prepare  for  a  coniiict,  nor 
had  his  crew ;  there  was  not  even  time  to  weigh  an- 
chor, so  as  to  disengage  the  ship,  which  is  the  first 
step  to  be  taken  in  sea  fights.  It  would,  however, 
have  been  of  little  use  to  weigh  the  anchor,  since  the 
Bails  were  fastened ;  for,  being  summer,  they  had  ar- 
ranged them  as  an  awning  to  shade  the  decks.  This 
mishaji,  however,  had  a  good  result,  for  our  men  being 
sheltered  during  the  combat,  and  the  English  unable 
to  take  aim  at  them,  fewer  of  them  were  killed  or 
wounded. 

"As  soon  as  they  approached,  our  sailors  hailed 
them,  but  the  English  replied  only  by  cries  of  men- 
ace, and  by  discharges  of  musketry  and  cannon.  They 
had  fourteen  pieces  of  artillery  and  sixty  artillerymen, 
who  ranged  themselves  along  the  side  of  their  vessel, 
firing  rapidly,  without  taking  aim.  The  first  discharge 
was  terrible ;  the  whole  ship  was  shrouded  in  fire  and 
smoke.  On  our  side  the  guns  remained  silent.  Cap- 
tain Flory  cried  out,  '  Put  the  cannon  in  position/  but 


1 


36        A  Raijiy  Morning  iintJi  the  Jesuits. 

tlie  gnnnor  was  absent.  Father  Gilbert  du  Tliet,  who 
had  never  been  guilty  of  cowardice  in  liis  life,  hearing 
the  Captain's  order,  and  seeing  tliat  no  one  obeyed, 
took  the  match  and  fired  the  cannon  as  loudlv  as  the 
enemy's.  The  misfortune  was  tliat  he  did  not  aim 
carefully ;  had  he  done  so,  probably  something  more 
useful  tlian  noise  would  have  occurred. 

*'  TJie  English,  after  their  first  attack,  prepared  to 
board  our  vessel.  Captain  Flory  cut  the  cable,  and 
thus  arrested  for  a  time  the  progress  of  the  enemy. 
T'loy  then  prepared  to  fire  another  volley,  and  in  this 
du  Thet  was  wounded  by  a  musket,  and  fell  across 
the  helm.  Captain  Flory  and  three  other  men  wxre 
also  wounded,  and  they  cried  out  that  they  surren- 
dered. The  English,  on  bearing  this  cry,  went  into 
their  boat  to  board  our  vessel,  our  men  imprudently 
rushed  into  tlieirs  in  order  to  put  off  to  shore  before 
the  arrival  of  the  victors.  The  conquerors  cried  out  to 
them  to  return,  as  otherwise  they  would  fire  on  them, 
and  two  of  our  men,  in  their  terjor,  threw  themselves 
into  the  water  and  were  drowned,  cither  because  they 
were  wounded  or,  more  probably,  were  shot  while  in 
the  water.  They  were  both  promising  young  men, 
one  named  LcMoine,  from  Dieppe,  and  the  other 
named  Ncnen,  from  Beauvais.  Their  bodies  were 
found  nine  days  afterwards,  and  carefully  interred. 
Such  was  the  history  of  the  capture  of  our  vessel." 

Here  the  Honorary  Member  iiKjuired  if  Mr.  Ban- 
croft did  not  say  in  his  notice  of  the  event  that  the 


A  Rainy  JMovjiing  ivith  the  yes u its.         37 


lie  in 


were 


English  bombarded  the  French  fort.  Mr.  Oldst}  le  re- 
plied that  he  did,  but  that  his  statement  lacked  author- 
tty ;  for  himself,  he  would  not  take  anything  without 
"authority." 

''  Just  so,''  said  the  Honorary  Member  ;  while  tlie 
Reader  went  on  to  recite,  not  wholly  without  indigna- 
tion, the  story  of  Argall's  perfidy : 

"The  victorious  lMi«jjlishmen  made  a  landinij  in  the 
place  where  we  had  begun  to  erect  our  tents  and 
dwellings,  and  searched  our  Captain  to  fmd  his  com- 
mission, saying  that  the  land  was  theirs,  but  that  if 
we  would  show  that  wo  had  acted  in  good  faith,  and 
under  the  authority  of  our  Prince,  they  would  not 
drive  us  away,  since  they  did  not  wish  to  imperil  the 
amicable  relations  between  our  two  Sovereigns.  The 
trouble  was  that  they  did  not  find  La  Saussaye,  but 
they  seized  his  des;k,  searched  it  carefully,  and  having 
found  our  commissions  and  royal  letters,  seized  them, 
then  putting  everything  in  its  place,  they  closed  and 
locked  the  desk.  On  the  next  day,  when  he  saw  La 
Saussaye,  the  English  Captain  welcomed  him  politely, 
and  then  asked  to  see  his  commission.  La  Saussaye 
replied  that  his  papers  were  in  his  desk,  which  was 
accordingly  brought  to  him,  and  he  found  that  it  was 
locked  and  in  perfect  order,  but  that  the  papers  were 
missing.  The  English  captain  immediately  changed 
his  tone  and  manner,  saying,  '  Then,  sir,  you  are  im- 
l)Osing  on  us.  You  give  us  to  understand  that  you 
hold  a  commissiou  from  your  King,  and  yet  you  can 


38        A  Rainy  Morning  zuith  tJic  ycsnits. 


produce  no  evidence  of  if.  You  are  all  rogues  and 
l>irate.s,  and  deserve  deatli.'  He  then  granted  permis- 
ftiun  to  his  soldiers  to  plunder  us,  in  which  work  they 
spent  the  entire  afternoon.  We  witnessed  the  destruc- 
tion of  our  property  from  the  shore,  the  Englishmen 
having  fastened  our  vessels  to  theirs,  for  we  had  two, 
our  ship  and  a  boat  newly  constructed  and  equipped. 
We  were  thus  reduced  to  a  miserahle  condition,  and 
this  w^as  not  all.  Next  day  they  landed  and  robbed 
us  of  all  we  still  possessed,  destroying  also  our  cloth- 
ing and  other  things.  At  one  time  they  committed 
some  personal  violence  on  two  of  our  peo})le,  which 
so  enraged  them  that  they  tied  into  the  woods,  like 
poor  crazed  creatures,  half  naked,  and  without  any 
food,  not  knowing  what  was  to  become  of  them." 

We  now  come,  said  Mr.  Oldstyle,  to  learn  the 
fate  of  the  brave  ecclesiastic,  who,  while  professional 
soldiers  fled,  had  the  courage  to  stand  by  the  guns: 

"To  return  to  the  Jesuits:  I  have  told  you  that 
Father  du  Thet  was  wounded  by  a  musket-shot  dur- 
ing the  light.  The  Lnglish,  on  entering  our  ship, 
placed  him  under  the  care  of  their  surgeon,  along  with 
the  other  wounded  men.  This  surgeon  was  a  Catho- 
lic, and  a  very  charitable  man,  and  he  treated  us  with 
great  kindness.  Father  l>iard,  knowing  that  Father 
du  Thet  was  wounded,  asked  the  Captain  to  allow  him 
to  be  carried  ashore,  so  that  he  had  an  oi)portunity  to 
reccivo  the  last  Sacraments,  and  to  praise  the  just  and 
merciful    God,  in   company  with  his  brethren.      He 


A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  ycsitits.        39 


the 
Glial 
Inns : 
hat 
dur- 
hip, 
with 
tho- 
ith 
ther 
liim 
y  to 
and 
He 


died  with  much  resignation,  calmness,  and  devotion, 
twenty-four  hours  after  he  was  wounded.  Thus  his 
prayers  were  granted,  for,  on  our  departure  from  Ilon- 
lieur,  he  had  raised  his  hands  and  eyes  toward  heaven, 
praying  that  he  might  return  no  more  to  France,  hut 
that  he  might  die  hiboring  for  the  salvation  of  i-ouls, 
and  especially  of  the  St?'  \ges.  He  was  buried  the 
same  day  at  the  foot  of  a  large  cross  which  we  had 
erected  on  our  arrival. 

''It  was  not  till  then  that  the  English  recognized 
the  Jesuits  to  be  priests.  Father  liiard  and  Father 
Kiinemond  Masse  went  to  the  ship  to  speak  to  the 
English  captain,  and  explained  frankly  to  him  that 
they  w  ere  Jesuits,  w  ho  had  travelled  into  thei-e  regions 
to  convert  the  Savages.  Then  they  implored  him,  by 
the  blood  of  Him  whom  thev  both  acknow le(l<red  as 
their  Redeemer,  and  ])y  the  mercy  they  hojied  for,  that 
he  would  liave  pity  on  the  poor  Frenchmen,  whom 
God  had  placed  in  his  power,  that  he  would  liberate 
them,  and  permit  them  to  return  to  France.  The  Cap- 
tain heard  them  quietly,  and  answered  them  respect- 
fullv.  'But,'  said  he,  'I  wonder  that  vou  Jesuils,  who 
are  generally  supi)osed  to  be  conscientious  and  relig- 
ious men,  should  be  here  in  com})any  w  ith  robbers  and 
pirates,  peojde  without  law  or  religion.' 

'•  Father  Biard  replied  to  him,  i)roving  that  all  the 
crew  were  good  men,  and  approved  by  his  ]Most 
Christian  INIajesty,  and  refuted  so  positively  the  objec- 
tions of  the  English  captain,  that  the  latter  was  obliged 


40        A  Rainy  Morning  luith  the  ycsniis. 

to  pretend  to  be  coiivir.ccd.  'Certainly,'  f^aid  he,  'it 
was  very  wrong  to  lose  your  letters  patent.  However, 
I  shall  talk  with  your  captain  abciit  sending  yen  heme.' 
And  from  that  time,  he  made  the  two  Fathers  share 
his  table,  showing  them  much  kindness  and  respect. 
But  one  thing  annoyed  him  greatly,  the  escape  cf  the 
liilot  and  sailors,  of  whcm  he  could  hear  nothing.  The 
])ilot  was  a  native  of  Ecuen,  named  Le  Taillcnr ;  he 
liad  gone  away  to  reconnoitre,  as  I  Lave  alicady  men- 
tioned, and  being  unable  to  return  to  the  ship  in  time, 
he  stayed  apart  in  his  sloop,  and  when  night  fell,  took 
with  him  the  other  sailors,  and  placed  himself  in  secu- 
rity from  the  i;ower  of  the  Englidn  At  night  he  came 
to  advise  with  us  as  to  what  he  had  better  do.  IIo 
did  this  to  oblige  the  Jesuits,  for  he  came  to  Father 
Biard,  and  taking  his  hand,  legged  him  not  to  distrust 
him,  assuring  him  that  he  wculel  be  faithful  to  him  anel 
the  other  Fathers.  As  he  seemeel  to  speak  sincerely, 
Father  Biard  thankcel  him  allectionately,  anel  juxm- 
ised  to  remember  his  kindness.  The  Father  also  said 
that  he  would  not  think  of  himself  until  the  others 
had  set  out,  that  then  he  would  seek  counsel  of  God; 
and  he  warned  the  pilot  not  to  fall  into  the  hands  cf 
the  English,  because  the  captain  was  very  anxious  to 
catch  him.  The  pilot  profited  b^^  the  warr.ing,  for  in 
two  or  three  days  after,  he  retired  behinel  seme  cf  the 
islands,  to  be  in  shelter,  anel  to  walch  for  what  might 
happen.  The  Engli^ih  captain  then  resolveel  not  to  in- 
ilict  any  further  injury  on  us,  althcugh  he  might  have 


A  Rainy  Morning  with  tJic  ycs2iits.        41 


;f 
o 
n 
0 
It 


desired  to  do  so,  as  I  conjectuicd  by  his  previous  cuii' 
duct,  lie  was  a  very  able  and  artful  man,  but  never- 
theless a  gentleman  and  a  man  cf  courage.  His  crew 
were  neither  cruel  or  unkind  to  anj''  cf  us." 

The  narrative  was  concluded  as  follows:  *'It  is  dif- 
ficult to  believe  how  much  sorniw  we  experienced  dur- 
ing this  time,  for  we  did  not  knew  what  was  to  be  our 
fate.  On  the  one  hand,  we  expected  either  death  or 
slavery  frcm  the  English ;  aid  en  the  other,  to  leniain 
in  this  country  and  live  an  entiie  year  iimcng  the  Sav- 
oges,  seemed  to  us  a  lii.gcring  and  \  ainful  death.  The 
Savages,  having  heard  cf  cur  dii^asters,  came  to  us  and 
offered  to  do  all  in  their  power  for  us,  promising  to 
feed  us  during  the  winter,  and  t: bowing  us  great  kind- 
ness. But  we  could  not  S:ee  any  hope  before  us,  and 
we  did  not  know  how  we  could  live  in  such  a  desert." 

Mr.  Oldstyle  then  told  us,  in  brief,  how  a  way  \\as 
opened  for  their  disposition  by  this  man  whom  the 
Jesuit,  who  was  soured  against  the  French  leaders, 
curiously  praises  as  a  gentleman.  La  Saussaye,  Father 
Masse,  and  thirteen  others  w  ere  mercilessly  cast  oft'  in 
an  open  beat,  instead  cf  beirg  put  en  bcaid  a  Fiench 
vessel,  as  Bancroft  says.  This  company,  when  joined 
among  the  islands  b\  the  pilot  and  his  boat,  who  lied 
};rcvious  to  the  fight,  made  their  wa}'  eastward  by  the 
aid  of  oars,  coasting  chiefly  along  the  ^hore  until, 
on  the  southern  coast  of  No\a  Scotia,  they  found 
tvvo  trading-vessels,  in  which  they  secured  a  passage  to 
St.  Malo.     On  the  other  hand,  Father  Liard  and  thir- 


1 ''- 


42       A  Rainy  Morning  ivitJi  the  ycsuits. 


teen  of  the  company  were  carried  prisoners  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  Governor  of  Virginia, 
threatened  them  with  tlie  halter,  so  that  Argall  was 
finally  obliged  to  confess  that  he  had  stolen  the  com- 
mission of  La  Saussaye  from  his  desk  at  Monnt  Desert. 
This  theft  was  perpetrated  to  justify  his  own  ])iracy, 
for  which  he  richly  deserved  to  suffer  the  penalty  of 
the  law,  as  the  two  nations  were  then  at  peace,  and  no 
excuse  whatever  could  be  urged  for  this  cruel  deed. 
Yet,  said  the  narrator,  they  were  not  even  satisfied 
with  the  wrong  and  mischief  that  they  had  actually 
done,  and  Argall  soon  fitted  out  his  own  shi])  and  the 
captured  vessel  of  La  Saussaye,  together  with  a  third 
smaller  vessel,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  Port 
Koyal.  In  this  expedition  they  were  accompanied  by 
Father  Biard,  who,  according  to  certain  English  and 
French  writers,  encouraged  the  attack  "  out  of  indi- 
gestible malice  "  (Purchas,  Vol.  iv.  1808,)  which  he  had 
conceived  against  his  old  enemy,  Biencourt,  then  in 
charge  at  that  jilace.  Biard  himself  gives  the  con- 
trary imi)ression,  yet  he  allows  that  both  the  French 
and  Englisli  looked  upon  him  as  a  traitor ;  and,  while 
the  English  desired  to  hang  him,  one  of  the  French 
ended  a  parley  with  him  at  Port  Poyal  by  saying, 
'•Begone,  or  I  will  sjdit  your  head  with  this  liatchet." 
Mr.  Oldstyle  thought  that  the  Jesuit's  character 
needed  looking  into ;  yet  he  went  on  to  tell  us  how 
Argall  sailed  the  second  time  for  St.  Savior,  expect- 
ing to  find  that  another  ship  had  arrived  frora  France, 


A  Rainy  Morning  zvith  the  ycsnits.        43 

being  still  bent  on  plunder.  But  he  met  no  one  except 
peaceful  Indians.  Landing  at  this  beautiful  i)lace,  the 
English  destroyed  everything  that  remained.  Says 
Father  Biard,  "They  burnt  our  fortifications  and 
pulled  down  our  crosses,  and  put  up  one  as  a  sign  that 
they  were  taking  j^ossession  of  the  land  as  Lords. 
This  cross  had  the  name  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain 
engraved  upon  it." 

Argall  continued  here  some  time,  long  enough 
indeed  for  one  of  his  men  to  attempt  a  conspiracy 
against  him,  and  thus  these  thieves  fell  out  among 
themselves.  Yet  the  plan  failed,  and  Father  Biard 
writes  that  "  they  also  hanged  one  of  their  men  for  a 
conspiracy  in  the  same  place  where  eiirht  davs  before 
they  had  taken  down  the  first  of  our  crosses." 

This  ended  Mr.  Oldstyle's  story,  for  which  we  all 
felt  greatly  obliged,  the  feeling  of  the  party  culminat- 
ing in  a  vote  of  thanks. 

The  Colony  of  St.  Savior  therefore  perished.  For 
this  high-handed  outrage  the  French,  owing  to  the 
disturbed  condition  of  European  politics,  were  unable 
to  obtain  proper  indemnification.  Madame  de  Guer- 
cheville  only  succeeded  in  recovering  La  Saussaye's 
ship. 

As  it  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader  to  learn  the 
fate  of  Father  Biard,  we  may  relate  here  that  Argall's 
fleet,  on  its  return  to  Virginia  from  the  destruction  of 
Port  Royal,  was  overtaken  by  a  gale,  in  which  one 
vessel  was  lost,  while  that  in  which  the  Jesuit  saUed 


i 


ii 


44        A  Rainy  Morning  with  the  Jesuits. 

was  driven  to  the  Azores.  The  Commandei',  Liettt- 
enant  Turnel,  afterwards  decided  to  sail  to  Pembrolio 
m  Wales,  where  Fatlier  IJiard  was  set  asliore,  bein^ 
well  received  by  the  Protestant  Ecclesiastics.  From 
tlienco  ho  went  to  Franco,  where,  as  a  theological 
Professor,  ho  perhaps  found  more  quiet  employment 
for  a  time,  though  he  ended  his  days  as  a  chaplain  in 
tlic  army. 


SOJri^S'      SOUND. 

CIlAPTEIi      V. 

SOUTII-M'EST      IlAUnOK— FlKST     ImPUKSSIONTS  —  TlIE     SOUN'D 

—  TiiK     ScEXKRY  — Fkrnald's     1*01X1  — Tiii:      rilKNCIl  — 
Biakd's  Spring  — Dog  Mountain  — Monkv     Diggkus. 


UMMEU  tourists  who  enter  ]\rount  Des- 
ert by  tlie  \v;iv  of  Soiitli-wcst  IIiirl)or  -aw. 
liable    to    receive    verv    iintUvoral)lt;    iin- 

« 

pressions  of  tliis  beautiful  island.  While 
approaching  the  shore,  tlie  most  charming  views  are 
obtained,  but  after  the  first  salutation  tlieir  majesties 
the  mountains  become  shv,  and  when  the  steamer 
reaches  the  pier  they  are  wlioUy  lost  to  sight.  On 
landing,  an  ancient,  fish-like  smell  is  found  to  pervade 
the  air  around  the  dock  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lobster- 
boiling  establishment,  while  the  general  aspect  of  the 
place  is  hardly  inviting.  By  crossing  the  harbor  to 
the  Ocean  House,  the  view  of  the  mountains  may 
indeed  be  regained,  yet  the  prospect  from  the  east 
side  is  tame. 

Still  no  one  should  .*^el  discouraged,  since  many  of 
the  chief  attractions  of  jMount  Desert  are  situated 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  villaixe,  where  the 
visitor,  if  he  is  wise,  will  spend  at  least  a  third  of  the 


46 


Somes'  Sound. 


time  allotted  to  liis  sojourn  on  the  island.  One  of  \\\r\ 
loveliest  i)laces  thus  aceessihle  is  ''  Somes'  Souud,''  u 
body  of  water,  six  or  seven  miles  long,  formed  by  an 
arm  of  the  sea,  which  nearly  divides  the  island  in  the 
middle.  Admirable  views  of  the  sound  may  be  en- 
joyed by  a  walk  of  live  or  ten  minutes  from  the  hotels 
to  the  east  side  of  Clark's  Point,  where  is  found  a 
rockv  shore  well  sutted  to  summer  idlinfj.  Yet  the 
best  way  to  explore  this  i)art  of  the  island  is  to  take 
a  boat  and  sail  leisurel;  up  to  Somesville.  It  is  the 
custom  to  start  from  South-west  Harbor,  and,  round- 
ing Clark's  Point,  to  steer  for  Fernald's  Point.  The 
scenery  thus  a})pears  to  the  best  advantage.  As  we 
proceed,  the  sound,  which  is  about  two  miles  wide  at 
the  entrance,  assumes  the  character  of  a  noble  river, 
fenced  in  by  rugged  mountains  and  fair  green  hills, 
the  margin  being  diversified  by  points  and  coves. 
From  a  distance,  looking  up  the  sound,  the  view 
resembles  that  of  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  while  on 
a  nearer  ap[>roach  it  forcibly  brings  to  mind  the 
Hudson  at  the  Highlands.  But  here,  however,  there 
are  no  unsightly  w^orks  of  man  to  mar  the  prospect. 
An  occasional  cottage  may  be  seen  nestling  among 
the  hills,  and  the  fishing-smack  is  found  at  anchor,  the 
crew  busily  engaged  in  setting  their  nets,  but  other- 
wise nature  appears  in  all  her  untamed  wildness. 

The  entrance  to  the  sound  is  shut  in  by  islands,  so 
that  we  do  not  realize  our  nearness  to  the  sea ;  yet 
here,  under  the  shadow  of  the  hills,  where  we  are 


Sovics  Sound,  ^-j 

often  reminded  of  Lake  George,  tlie  ilsher-boy  lianls  up 
the  i.ortly  cod  and  the  liaddock,  whih)  anon  the  \\]h)1o 
surface  ripples  with  schools  of  herring  and  menhaden. 
The  sound  cuts  through  the  centre  of  the  mountain- 
range   at  right    angles   between    Dog   iMotintain   and 
Mount  Mansell,  wliich  name  we  gave  to  the  elevation 
on  the  eastern  side,  partly  because  it  lias   heretofore 
had  no  recognized  name,  but  more  especially  for   the 
reason  that  at  an  early  period  the  whole  island  was  so 
called  by  the  English,  in  honor  of  Sir  Robert  Mansell. 
This  mountain  is  of  no  considerable  height,  yet  it  lends 
great  beauty  to  the   prospect,  its  summit  being  more 
or  less  bare.     Dog  Mountain,  however,  attains  a  line 
elevation,  and  reflects  its   perpendicular  face  in   the 
deep   waters  that  sparkle  around  its  feet.     Through 
the  splendid  gateway  formed  by  these  two  mountains, 
we  pass  into  the  broader  waters  beyond,  and  gain   a 
glimpse  of  the  pastoral  scenery  which  is  found  around 
Somesville. 

Within  the  protecting  reaches  of  Somes'  Sound,  the 
French  decided  to  establish  their  new  home.  We 
have  already  seen  that  the  precise  spot  was  at  what  is 
now  known  as  Fernald's  Point.  Towards  this  place 
we  laid  our  course  with  no  little  interest  the  first  time 
we  were  out  boating,  after  the  recital  of  Father 
Biard's  Narrative  when  storm-bound  at  the  inn.  It 
was  a  charming  day,  and  nearly  the  entire  mountain- 
range  could  be  clearly  distinguished,  though  the  east- 
ern sections  were  the  most  prominent,  Green  Moun- 


48 


Somes  Sound. 


tain  liAiiiir  itself  iihove  all  the  rest,  crowned  by  tlie 
little  |)iil)lic  house  which  mjiiks  its  top.  A  i)leasunt 
breeze  soon  carried  us  on  to  Fernald's  Point,  a  beau- 
tiful grassy  piece  of  land  which  swee])s  gently  up  from 
the;  shoi-t3,  precisely  as  Father  Biard  describes  it,  ter- 
minating in  a  small  but  fuiely  formed  rid^e  of 
naked  j-ock.  Landing  here,  we  walked  over  the 
ground,  which^  includes  very  nearly  the  precise  num- 
ber of  acres  indicated  by  the  Relation,  nnd  which  are 
characterized  by  a  rich  and  fertile  soil.  Here  we 
looked  down  \\\.q.\  the  harbor,  ^'  smooth  as  a  pond,"  with 
the  bold  water  navigable  for  the  largest  ships,  "  up  to 
within  a  cable's  leiiglh  of  the  shore,"  and  the  entrance 
strongly  fortilied  against  wind  and  weather  by  rock- 
bound  yet  sunny  isles. 

The  account  says  that  the  pdace  where  the  French 
settled,  was  "  shut  in  by  the  large  island  of  Mount 
Desert,"  a  statement  that  a[)pears  to  have  misled  some 
l)ersons.  The  explanation  was  briefly  given  in  a 
pi'evious  cha[)ter,  where  the  reader  was  informed  that 
the  French  supposed  the  land  on  the  Avest  side  of  tlie 
sound  to  be  wholly  separated  from  that  on  the  east, 
which,  on  account  of  the  barren  aspect  of  the  moun- 
tains, they  called  Mount  Desert.  And  now  here  lay 
before  us  the  same  old  mountains  of  which  the  priest 
wrote.  Mr.  Oldstyle  was  charmed  with  the  exactness 
of  the  description,  which  he  rightly  declared  lo  }io 
l)hotographic,  and  incapable  of  application  to  auv 
other  spot  on  the  coast  of  JMaino.  > 


Somi-s  Sound. 


49 


d 


WlHlo   at   ,I,c   fann-lu,„.c,   ,ve    i,„i„i,o,I    if   ,„o,.o 

>rcrcanys,,nM.sof„.uc.,-„„,l„.|' ,,  us  Hianl  savs 

at  ■yMvass.p;,liM,viH,uaU.H,y.s,,Hn.  ,,,...:.,. 

'."■    ,/'7  ''""■>■  ^^-^'^   l"-"">l'lly  anMve.v,l  l.v  M,. 

I'enul,Uvl„.k.,l„stoa.s,„in.o„,I,e  ea.t  .si,i;.,  .,,,1 

o- also  „.  ,,.e  ,vost.     That  on  .he  .ast  .i,,e  „.„  ,•„,„ 

ho    oun,l.     Its  ou.let  l,as  boeu   ...ea.ly  ,li.stu,..,e.t  bv 

neann.  away  of  U,c  shore,   yot   ,v.  i;.,„„,  „,; 

'Uo    .s„il  n.nn,,,.-.      That  ,„.  ,hc  west  sMo  of  ,ho 

lon,tovoHl.wsi,,toalutloc:ne,  boiU,,,  ,,,,  outof 
tie  .a,Kl  wuh  consi,leral,lo  force.     At  hi^h  ,i,le  ,he 

-lUvaterWsintoit.yetw.hea,he,i,h/;ee.,e:.t 
spnng  1.S   fonncl  as  pure  an.l  f.^osh  as  I„.f,ro.     This 

B!.n.,g  was  n,nni„g  here  whe:., he  ancestors   of,  ho 

I'en,aldshrstset,leaonU,ehHH,,anaisbevon,l,,„es 
"on  the  K,en.cal  spru,.  at  wl,ich  ,he  Jesuit   Fa  hl^ 

qncnchcltheir  thirst  in  the  nnnmer  of  l(;i;!  Tl,e 
"■ater  as  coW  and  inexhans.ible,  iishin,Mleet.;  often 
connng  Ijero  in  dry  season,  wlien  tiie  wells  fail,  to  i^Il 
then-  tanks  and  casks. 

Of  French  relies  there  are  none.     The  shell-hcaps 
^con  near  the  shore  mnst  be  relerred  to  the  India,  s 
who  evidently  dwelt  upon   this  sightlv  p.-ace.      ^e 

8.-avcs  of  te  French  kilied  in   the°ii,ht\vi,hA,i 
a^•o  never  bee,>  di.-covered.     Father  Vetromile,  inl.is 
o.-k  on  the  Abcnakis  Indians,  indeed  gives  a    nctnr 
u  po,  ung  ,0  represent  the  grave  of  d,.  TI,et.  yet  the 
B^etch  .  a  pure  fancy,  designed  perhaps  to  in>pre 
the  ..»agnuu,on  of  the  faitittnl.     At  a.   ea.ly  plriod 


50 


Somes  Sound. 


i 


every  vestige  of  the  French  completely  passed  away. 
Back  of  Flviiiir  ^lountain,  and  <Uroctlv  under  ICacle 
CliiV,  in  Dog  ^Mountain,  we  were  shown  trenches,  re- 
cently opened  in  connection  with  holes  in  the  gronnd. 
having  the  appearance  of  ancient  cellars.  Our  fiiend 
Aurc(jle,  who  went  with  us,  made  light  of  these 
"  cellars,''  wliile  ]Mr.  Oldstyle  demonstrated  that  thev 
were  formed,  like  many  others  which  he  afterward 
showed  in  the  w^oods,  by  the  upturning  of  large  trees. 
The  parties  who  opened  these  trenches  gave  us  the 
impression  that  they  were  laboring  in  the  interests  of 
history,  vet  our  own  view  is  that  they  were  inlhienced 
by  the  mania  for  money-digging,  of  which  something 
is  to  be  said  by  and  by.  They  evidently  hoped  to  find 
treasure  buried  by  the  French. 

We  left  the  place  and  returned  to  the  Point,  which 
ought  to  be  known  as  St.  Savior,  since  tlie  French 
evidently  transferred  the  name  given  to  their  lirst 
landing-place  to  this  ;  and,  after  drinking  once  moi"e 
from  the  sparkling  water  of  Father  Biard's  Spring,  wc 
embarked  and  sailed  past  Flying  IMountain,  landing 
u})on  the  shore  of  the  cove,  not  far  from  our  irlend's 
"cellars."  Here  a  wrecked  llshing-smack  Iny,  quietly 
going  to  ])ieces.  The  place  is  one  of  very  great 
beauty,  being  hemmed  in  on  the  west  by  Fagle  Cliff, 
wdiich  rises  to  a  heijjht  of  eiu'ht  or  nine  hundred  feet. 

Near  this  cliiT  is  another,  in  the  ftice  of  the  same 
mountain.  It  looks  down  upon  the  deep  water  of 
the  sound,  which  is  navigable  for  large  vessels  up  to 


Siuin's'  Sound. 


51 


Its  vcrv  base.  It  is  nltc^jnjellicr  tlic  most  woiido'/fiil 
clilV  on  {\u\  island,  the  liTanitc  faces,  r.early  11  tlnMi- 
sand  feet  liii'li,  ])einjx  inaccessibl(3  to  mortals.  Wo 
brougiit  our  boat  under  tliis  dreadful  i^recipice,  where 
we  could  look  up  squarely  into  the  crags.  The  view  is 
sublime,  but  the  posiiion  was  one  iu  which  we  did  not 
care  to  linger,  as  in  many  places  detached  r(;cks  of 
immense  size  seemed  en  the  j^oint  of  lalling  down. 
At  the  foot  of  the  })reci[)ice  lay  vast  quantities  of 
ikhris,  and  we  therefore  gave  the  cliit  ;i  v,i<le  berth, 
failing  j^ast  to  a  point  wliich  mad(}  c;ut  into  the 
soiukL  Here  we  landed,  and  di;  covered  a  place 
where  it  v,as  possible  to  a^cend  the  mounlain.  The 
course  taken  was  well  nigh  |  erpcndic  ula.i-.  and  \  v.as 
left  to  climb  alor.e  from  rock  to  rock,  haulinii;  mvself 
up  by  the  stunted  trees  and  shrubs,  no  one  else  caring 
to  undergo  tlic  labor. 

Finallv  I  reached  the  UA^.  and  walked  alonir  the 
escarpment  until  .1  came  to  the  mlii^i",  of  the  perp.endic- 
ular  cli.r.  Here,  lookim;!^  down,  the  scene  was  most 
impres;  ivc.  Tlio  boat,  with  her  white  sail,  now 
seemed  scarcely  hr.'ger  liian  a  gull,  while  our  party, 
who  liad  climbed  up  a  .'■hort  distance  from  the  water 
and  perched  t!iem>elves  upon  a  jutting  rock  to  await 
the  result  (  f  mv  adventure,  were  now  reduced  to 
l)igmies.  I  shouted  aloud  to  Amarinta,  ])ut  coidd  not 
make  mvself  understoo(b  I  waved  my  hat,  but  was 
not  observed.  I  at  last  found  that  1  must  take  a 
position  on  the  highest  peak,  v.hero   my  iigiire   woidd 


52 


So7Hcs  So2ind. 


11  I 


stand  out  sliari)ly  defined  against  the  sky.  Here  I 
was  soon  seen,  and  to  iiiv  simial  Amarinta's 
dainty  pocket-handkerchief  fluttered  a  reply.  Tlien 
in  response  to  my  loud  halloo,  came  a  small  voice. 
Tlie  cambric  waved  aijain,  and  I  caudit  two  svllaljles 
that  floated  slowly  up  from  the  depths  below, —  Talce 
cure!  It  was  the  small  voice  which  belonwd  to  the 
anxious  proprietor  of  the  pocket-handkerchief.  As  for 
Oldstyle,  he  viewed  mo  through  his  glass  with  as  much 
unconcern  as  though  I  had  been  an  eagle  or  a  crow ; 
while  Aureole  lay  prone  upon  the  rock  in  utter  idle- 
ness, thus  saving  the  polish  of  his  patent-leather  boots. 
All  along  the  edge  of  the  cliff  the  bare  granite  is 
full  of  horrid  seams  and  rifts,  while  huge  sections 
seem  ready  at  any  minute  to  jilunge  downward  into 
the  sound  below.  A  hint  from  a  handful  of  gunpow^- 
dcr  would  dislodi^e  millions  of  tons.  Here  I  was  most 
forcibly  reminded  of  Shakspeare's  description  of  Dover 
Cliti's  in  King  Lear,  which  applies  to  these,  with  the 
exception  of  the  samphire-gatherer : 

"  Come  on,  Sir-  here's  the  place:— stand  still.— How  fearful 
And  dizzy  'tis  to  cast  one's  eyes  so  low ! 
The  crows,  and  choughs,  that  winj?  the  midway  air, 
Show  scarce  so  gross  jis  b"etles:  halfway  down 
Hangs  one  that  gathers  sampliJrf :  dreadful  tradel 
Methinks,  he  seems  no  bigger  than  his  iicad  : 
The  fishermen,  that  walk  upon  the  beach, 
Appear  like  mice;  and  yon,  tall,  anchoring  bark, 
Diminish'd  to  her  cock ;  her  cock,  a  buoy 
Almost  too  small  for  sight:  the  murmuring  surge 
That  on  the  unnumber'd  idle  jiebblcs  chafes, 
Cnuuot  be  heard  so  high." 


So/US  Sou/id. 


53 


YirfT^il  savs  that  the  descent  to  Averuus  is  easy,  vet 
ih'j  descent  of  this  Cliff  is  twice  as  hard  as  the  ascent, 
and  rc'iuires  double  the  time.  It  is  finally  accom- 
plished, however,  and  after  various  slips  and  slides  I 
reached  the  rock  where  our  boat  was  moored,  when 
we  sailed  out  from  under  these  frownini>'  heiixhts, 
which  gradually  sink  towards  the  north,  torniing  a 
valley,  and  then  rise  again  pushing  out  into  the  sound. 
This  vallev,   which   terminates  on   the   sound,  is  ele- 

« 

vated  only  about  forty  or  lifty  feet  above  the  water. 
The  bank  is  of  shelving  granite,  down  which  poui's  a 
small  stream  known  as  3Ian-of-AVar  Brook,  so  called, 
tradition  tells  us,  fi'om  the  fact  that  in  the  last  war 
with  Enixland  the  Kinij's  cruisers  sailing  alonix  the 
coast  were  accustomed  to  put  in  here  to  till  their 
tanks.  It  certainly  must  have  proved  a  convenient 
place  for  this  i)urpose.  As  we  sat  in  the  boat,  rocking 
gently  upon  the  salt  waves,  our  cups  received  the  cool 
sparkling  water  of  the  brook — a  child  of  the  uplands 
— which  even  at  this  dry  season  was  pourinii'  down  a 
bountiful  supply.  It  was  here  very  pleasing  to  notice 
the  conhdenceof  a  pretty  linnet,  v>]\o  alighted  to  share 
with  us  the  benelit  of  the  brook,  perching  herself  on 
the  point  of  a  rock  under  the  spray,  and  performing 
her  ablutions  with  all  the  nice  airs  of  a  hi^rh-bred  city 
bird. 

On  one  side  of  the  brook  was  a  landinj;,  and  a 
couidc  of  wild,  am[)hibious  looking  boys  were  pushing 
out  in  a  weather-beaten  boat  with  an  old  black  sail  *o 


54 


Sojucs  Sound. 


lEiiM 


go  after  liailtlof'k.  Tlicir  trade  had  ea;]y  jiut  its  f-eal 
u|)()ii  tlic'iii.  ()  i]('>li,  how  li>liifk'd  I  Two  Httle  giils, 
Avitli  haro  heads  ai;d  feet,  ^at  on  the  baidv  staling  at 
lis  with  beautiful  daik  browu  eves.  'J'heir  features 
were  good,  but  wlieu  we  s[ioke  to  tiieui  it  was  inouru- 
ful  to  li(3:ir  the  eld(3r,  about  teu  years  old,  aiiswei*  in 
a  li;)arse  voice,  which  clearly  iui;»lied  iuu<'h  jjliy-iciil 
ueii'lect.  The  suu  was  l)roilii!n'  hot.  and  we  aske(l  if 
slie  had  uo  ])()nnet,  Ix'iug  told  iu  reoly  fliat  iiie  had 
one  last  suuHuer.  She  had  no  slijes,  aid  last  v.inter 
she  froze  her  feet.  Their  parents  lived  in  a  Icg-house 
up  in  lh(5  vallev.  Haviuu^  heard  that  there  were 
nioney-diiigers  in  the  neighborhood,  we  incjuired  f)r 
the  jilace  where  they  v.eie  at  work.  The  girk>  point- 
ed up  the  valley  and  led  the  way.  A  ^hort  walk 
bi'ouglit  us  to  a  wild  and  romantic  s[)ot  where  the 
ground  had  l)een  j-artially  cleared,  and  where  granite 
cliU's,  sprinkled  with  shaggy  llr  and  .s[)rMce,  ro;  e  up 
on  the  north  side  to  a  heiiiht  of  three  tu*  four  hiuuhed 
feet.  In  the  middle  vX  the  cleared  ground  was  an 
excavation  lari>e  enouj^h  for  the  cellar  of  a  ijood-sized 
house.  The  excavation  extended  down  to  the  solid 
rock,  which  everywhere  underlies  the  drift,  and  a 
couple  of  strange-looking  men  were  hard  at  work 
with  long-handled  spades  throwing  out  the  earth. 
These  were  the  monev-diii'm'rs,  wlio.se  faitii  was  sotm 
to  be  I'ewarded  with  untold  tretisures  of  silver  and  gold. 
The  history  of  monev-diii^ini''  in  Elaine  is  somewhat 
curious.     Thui'e  has  scarcely  ever  been   a  time  when 


Somes  Sound, 


55 


the  subject  did  not  attract  attention.     Kendall,  in  his 
Travels,  gives  an  acconnt  ul'  a  great  sensation  created 
in  connection  with  the  snhject  in  the  bcginnii.ir  of  the 
present  century,  at  Xorridgcwock,  whei^   a   nmn  and 
his  two  sons  gave  out  that  they  had  found  innnensc 
treasures,  and,  on  the  strength   of  the  representation, 
swnidled  the   community   out    of  a   large  anmunt  of 
property.     At  that  time   a  person  was    going    about 
in  the    interior   lecturing    on    the   subject  of"  hidden 
treasure,   and    exciting  the   imagination   of   the   j)eo- 
ple. 

From  time  to  time  money  has  actually  been  tbund. 
Not  long  since  a  pot  of  gold  and  a  signet-ring  were 
discovered  on  Kichmond  Islan.l,  near  I'oitland,  by 
a  tarmer,  :Mr.  lianscom,  when  ploughing.  lM,ur  hun- 
dred dollars  in  French  crowns  were  found  in  a  licld 
liear  Frenchman's  liay.  Near  Castine  a  large  collec- 
tion of  old  coins  was  found  by  Captain  Stephen  (Jrin- 
dle  in  the  year  18-10-1.  The  place  pointed  out  is  on 
the  bank  of  the  Pxigaduce,  six  miles  from  tiie  site  of 
the  fort.  At  this  point,  lierhaps,  was  the  old  road  to 
Hount  Desert. 

About  the  close  of  Xovember,  1810,  Captain  Grin- 
die  was  engMged  with  his  son,  hauling  wood  down  to 
the  shore,  when  the  latter  picked  ui)  a  piece  of  money 
near  a  partially  buried  rock,  lying  about  seventy-live 
feet  from  the  shoie,  and  in  the  old  line  of  a  beaten 
track  that  had  existed  for  tune  out  of  mind.  Tiadition 
likewise  says  that  one  of  the  Indian  routes  from   the 


5(3 


Semes  Sound. 


jieniiisula  of  Castiiie  to  ^Nluuiit  Desert  and  Frencli- 
niaii's  Bay  was  up  the  liagaduce,  and  thence  across  to 
Blue-llill  Bav. 

Tlie  coin  found  was  a  French  piece.  This  prize 
led  them  to  commence  diiiifini^  in  the  tji'ound,  which 
they  continued  doing  until  dark,  the  .'carch  l.eing 
I'c warded  by  nearly  twenty  additional  coins.  ])nrii:ir 
the  night  tlie  snow  fell,  and  nothing  more  was  done 
until  spring,  when  two  coins  were  found  embedded  in 
the  top  of  the  rock.  An  ii-on  bar  thiust  into  the 
opening  revealed  the  presence  of  a  large  (juantity, 
numbering  nearly  five  hun'^:ed  pieces  of  difierent 
nations.  Mr.  Grindle's  wife  gleefully  held  her  apron, 
which  was  soon  loaded  by  her  husband  and  son,  she 
at  the  same  time  declaring  that  it  was  "  the  best  lapful 
she  had  ever  carried." 

These  may  have  been  lost  or  hidden  by  Baron 
Castine,  when,  in  1G88,  he  tied  to  the  woods  to  escape 
from  Governor  Andross.  One  of  the  silver  coins  was 
recently  shown  me  at  Somesville  by  the  person  who 
received  it  from  the  linder. 

Still  nearer  this  spot,  on  the  east  side  of  the  sound, 
opposite  Fernald's  Point,  money  has  also  been  found. 
At  least  such  is  the  common  belief,  which  is  based  on 
good  evidence.  The  reputed  linder  still  lives  (18G8) 
on  the  }»lace,  where,  according  to  the  testimony  of  a 
man  once  in  his  employ,  he  discovered  a  pot  of  gold. 
At  all  events  his  circumstances  a})pear  to  have  sud- 
denl}'  changed,  when  he  rose  from  i  condition  of  hard- 


Souics  Sound. 


57 


ship  to  one  of  comparative  afllueiice  and  ease.  That 
gold  may  have  been  buried  there  is  not  at  all  unlikely. 
When  Argall  attacked  St.  Savior,  a  [jart  of  the 
French  were  scattered  in  the  woods  and  amoni»;  the 
neighboring  islands,  and  g.)ld  may  have  been  buried 
by  them  at  the  place  in  (question  and  never  recovered. 

All  these  circumstances,  taken  toguther,  lead  tliL^ 
somewhat  credulous  farmers  and  fishermen  to  imairine 
that  gold  is  everywhere  buried  on  their  lands.  'IMiis 
suspicion  is  strengthened  by  S[>iritualists  and  Divining- 
rod  men,  who  go  from  place  to  place,  i)rac:icing  u{)on 
the  unsophisticated.  We  found  one  of  the  Spiritu- 
alists here  in  this  vallev.  lie  was  a  man  of  somewha: 
good  features  with  gray  beard  and  hair,  and  a  wild 
liijht  in  his  eve.  The  di;»<2:ers  at  lirst  ii^ave  us  the 
im[)ression  that  they  were  making  a  cellar,  but  gradu- 
ally the  owner  of  the  ground,  a  red-faced  man,  half 
farmer  and  half  lisherman,  unfolded  the  treniend:)us 
secret.  Mr.  Oldstyle  and  the  rest  did  not  enjoy  his 
confidence,  and  it  was  reserved  for  my  own  ear  to 
enjoy  the  revelation  in  full. 

Drawing  me  aside,  he  began  by  requesting  my 
opinion  on  the  general  subject  of  grdd,  and  desired  to 
know  if  the  rock  was  gold-bearing,  and  whether,  in 
case  treasure  was  found,  the  United-States  Govern- 
ment could  take  it  away.  I  assured  him  that  the 
rocks  of  Mount  Desert  were  not  auriferous,  and  that 
it  was  folly  to  look  for  treasure  ;  nun'eover,  that.  I 
thouiiht,  so  far  as  the  Government  miiiht  be  concerned, 


58 


Somes   Siuuid. 


lie  wcniM  be  welcome  to  all  tliat  lie  could  find.  iNIy 
unbelief  Ccau.sed  liim  to  waiin  up,  and  to  declare  in  a 
low  tone  apjuvjacliing  a  stag(^-\vlii.sper,  ''There  's  gold 
here."  This  did  not  produce  the  8tartlii;g  eOect 
anticipated,  and  therefore,  with  a  soi't  of  iiisanity  blaz- 
ing from  his  eyes,  he  went  on  to  unfold  his  belief. 
lie  had  signified  in  the  beginning  that  the  object  in 
view  was  a  cellar,  because  he  did  not  know  who  I  was. 
I  might  have  been  a  spy,  or  the  agent  of  sonu;  party 
ab(jut  to  make  a  midniiiht  raid  u|)oii  the  diii'dnirs. 
But  now  that  he  felt  assured  he  was  dealing  with  an 
honest  tourist,  he  had  no  objection  to  tellirg  me  that 
they  were  in  search  of  gold,  and  that  in  three  days 
they  would  r(?ach  it.  All  the  })redictioi:s  made  thus 
far  by  the  8i)irits  had  been  verified.  They  had  told 
them  that  as  he  proceeded  he  would  find  the  name  of 
one  of  the  men  orii-inallv  enoaoed  in  dei)ositini''  the 
treasure,  engraved  on  a  })late.  The  plate  with  the 
name — Jami:s  Long — had  now  been  found,  at  least 
such  was  his  belief,  though  the  man  who  discovered  it 
did  not  like  to  show  it,  but  rather  preferred  to  keep 
them  in  the  lively  exercise  of  faith.  The  treasure 
buried  was  none  other  than  the  loni2;-soui>ht  treasure 
of  the  Pirate  Kidd.  It  lay  under  a  black  marble 
slab,  thirty  feet  .scpiare,  and  beautifully  [)olished,  rest- 
in<>-  on  corner-stones,  with  a  rin!»-oolt  in  the  centre. 
They  were  sure  to  have  it  in  three  days. 

Having  thus  delivered  himself,  and  finding  that  ] 
was  not  dis[)osed  to  bid  high  for  his  claim,  ho  cooled 


1^ 


Sojucs  Sound. 


59 


off,  and,  iiisteiul  of  (ligglng  in  the  excavation  with  his 
friends,  very  i)i-u<lently  went  away  into   a  corner   of 
his  clearing  and    began    to    hoe   }K)latoes.       IJnt   tlio 
oiliers  showed  a  more  genuine   faith,  and   c;)ntinn."d 
to  i,]y  tlieir  spades,  at  the  same   time  expressin'.-  thcii- 
happy  expectation.     For  him.elf.   Gray  beard  dM  nt)t 
Ibllovv  the  example  of  the  man  who  had  just  loft   mc 
for  his  hoe.     y/c>made   no   secret  of  it  wilh   ami  ,y.w. 
He  expec;edyo/r/.     He  was  at  work  f(n-  a  goo.l  pay- 
master,  who   would  pay   when    the   work    was    done. 
I  i^vwi^nWy  hoped  that  it  was  so;   but  then,  would  jiis 
work  ever  be  fA^/^e  ?    The  notion  was  scorned.     There 
eould  be  no  mistake.     The  treasure  was  alreadv  with- 
in their  grasp.      He  had  talked  with  Ki<ld,  and  knew 
all  about  it;  and  so  he  plied  his  spade  with  fre.di  zeal. 
This  was  the  end  of  the  controversy,  and  we  pre- 
pared to  \<i-^s(i.     AVliereupon  one  of  the  digo-.Ts  came 
out  of  the  hole  and  inquired  f  .r  -  the  axe,"Tnd  be-an 
to   circle   about  a  small  tree  under  which   Amarinta 
sat,  all  .he  while  in  his  gyrations  ap]u-oachiiig  nearer 
and  nearer.     Accordingly  Amarinta  became  alarmed, 
and  rushed  out  of  the  charmed  circle.    Of  this  the  man' 
took  no  notice  ;  but  iindiug  his  axe,  instead  of  proceed- 
ing to  slaughter,  he  qu.etly  regaiiuMl  his  liole  in   the 
ground,  where  we  heard  him  beating  the  dents   out  of 
a  shovel,  preparatory  to  a  fresh  i-aid  upon  the  inex- 
haustible treasures  of  Kobert  Kidd. 

Thus    we    came    otF    whole,   notwithstanding    the 
proprietor   told  Aureole   that  he   had  twenty  foaded 


Co 


Soutcs  Sound. 


muskets  standing  just  inside  his  door,  an  announce- 
ment tliat  made  him  feel  nervous.  As  we  turned  and 
left  the  di<rijjers  in  the  wild  lilen,  Mr,  Oldstvle  tried  to 
calculate  liow  much  gi)ld  they  might  liave  actually 
found  if  they  had  devoted  the  weeks  spent  upon  this 
huge  excavation  to  honest  tillage ;  while,  when  we 
reached  the  boat,  Aureole  found  his  voice,  and  struck 
up, 

"  My  name  was  Captaiu  Kidd,  as  I  sailed,  as  I  sailed." 

The  next  place  on  the  west  side  is  the  Crows'  Xest, 
the  north  spur  of  Dog  Mountain,  vvliich  descends 
abruptly  into  bold  water,  covered  with  scraggy  woods 
from  the  summit  down  to  the  shore.  Opposite,  and 
now.  near  at  hand,  on  the  east  side,  is  Mount  Mansell, 
which,  with  the  Crows'  Nest,  forms  the  Narrows. 
The  view  is  singularly  fme,  and  after  sailing  through, 
the  prospect  widens,  the  sound  being  about  three 
miles  from  shore  to  shore.  On  the  east  side  is  seen 
the  little  inlet  called,  like  a  larger  bay  on  the  west  side 
of  the  island.  Seal  Co\e.  Here  they  formerly  caught 
seal  in  abundance,  but  now  a  fish-house  signifies  that 
the  chief  product  is  herring  or  menhaden.  On  the 
west  shore,  a  little  way  from  the  Crows'  Nest,  is  a 
granite  slide  called  Denning's  Walk.  It  covers  a 
large  area,  and  dips  to  the  water  at  a  sharp  angle, 
being  beautifully  embossed  with  moss  and  lichen, 
while  here  and  there  a  small  spruce  struggles  for  life 
in  some  narrow  fissure  of  the  rock.     A  lone  while 


I  I 


Somes'  Son /id. 


6l 


ago,  on  a  diirk  whiter  night,  a  vessel  was  driven  uj>un 
the  shelving  roek  and  went  to  pieces,  one  of  the  crew 
saving  himself  from  freezing  to  death  by  walking  on 
the  slide  nntil  daylight. 

As  we  sail  u[)ward  the  land  around  us  sinks  nearly 
to  the  level  of  the  water,  giving  glimpses  of  the  nioie 
distant  mountains,  while  the  spire  of  Somesville,  ere- 
long, peej)s  out  from  among  the  trees.  From  the 
Crows'  Xest  to  this  place  is  about  three  miles.  AVe 
enter  the  little  harbor  near  the  head  of  the  sound  by 
passing  through  a  narrow  passage  between  an  i.^land 
and  the  shore  and  land  near  a  shipyard  that  has  a 
saw-mill  attached.  Everywhere  from  the  upper  part 
of  the  sound  we  have  beautiful  views,  Mount  Mansell 
sinking  down  into  comparative  obscurity,  while  Sar- 
gent's Mountain  and  Green  Mountain  loom  up  linely 
beyond  the  intervening  woods. 

Towards  the  east  a  branch  of  the  sound  extends  a 
little  higher  up,  and  there  vessels  resort  to  load  with 
lumber ;  while  at  Somesville  it  receives  the  fresh 
water  that  flows  down  from  the  outlets  of  Long  Lake, 
on  its  way  turning  the  ancient  mill-wheels,  which, 
like  river-gods  at  enforced  service,  laboriously  grind 
and  saw. 

Somes'  Sound  enables  us  to  sail  throufrh  the  heart 
of  the  best  scenery  on  the  island,  to  which  it  gives  a 
general  introduction,  thus  preparing  ns  to  take  up 
other  portions  of  this  wonderful  place  in  detail. 
Wherever  the  boatman  voyages,  the   eye  Is  delighted 


62 


Somes  Sound, 


l)v  iieu'  and  evcr-cliiiiiglng  views,  pleasant  valleys — 
the  liunie  of  tlie  deer — invitinij  us  ashore  for  a  ranihh*. 
while  the  mountains  pencil  their  features  around  us 
on  the  waves. 

AVlth  a  good  breeze,  a  sail  of  a  couple  of  hours  will 
take  visitors  back  to  South-west  Harbor,  though  who- 
ever has  the  time  will  find  it  profitable  to  remain  at 
Somesville  for  several  days. 


AMOXG     THE    MOUNTAIXS. 

CIlAPTKIi      VI. 

Wkstkrx  Moi'xtain'  —  Bi:i:cir  Moi'ntvix — Sroinr  Ci.ii  r— 
Dog  MorNTMN'  —  CLiMnixG  —  A  Sroitv  —  Flying  Moun- 
tain —  rm:  FuKNCii  —  .Sakgknt's  Mountaix. 

')nNTAlNS  form  one  of  tlie  cfi-andcst 
feature  5  of  this  isljind  ;  and  Somes'  Sound, 
1)V  dividing  them  into  two  wneral  irrouns, 
alfords  a  convenient  elassilieation. 
All  the  mountains  on  tlie  west  side  are  hest  readied 
from  Soutli-west  Ilarhoi*,  while  those  on  the  east,  with 
the  exception  of  Mount  Mansell  and  Sargent's  ]Moun- 
tain,  should  generally  be  ascended  from  J*ar  Harbor. 
On  the  west  side  arc  Western,  Teech,  Dog,  and  Fly- 
ing ^Mountains,  of  which  we  are  first  to  speak.  These 
mountains  mav  be  distinijuished  from  the  others  bv  a 
more  verdant  aspect,  and  a  heavier  growth  of  wood. 
The  name  of  Western  Mountain  indit'ates  its  position 
on  the  west  shore  of  the  island,  overlooking  Penobscot 
Bay.  Seen  from  the  water,  it  has  a  tolerably  sharp 
peak,  which,  as  we  sail  around  the  island,  assumes 
somewliat  the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf,  apparently  with  a 
tendency  to  topple  over  towards  the  cast.  Yet  this 
cone  is  very  (irmly  fixed  in  its  place,  and  will  never 
cause  alarm. 


Cj 


Aijwjisr  tJic  Mountains. 


From  Soutli-west  Harbor  tlie  mountain  is  very 
oasiiy  reached,  as  a  carriai^e-rcad  extends  f-j^'  a  laiire 
portion  of  the  wa}',  changing  to  a  wood-road  on  us 
fide,  wliicli  eventually  fades  out.  This  mountain  has 
!io  great  reputation,  yet  it  is  in  every  resjiect  a  beau- 
tiful hei'dit,  aliordini";  a  fine  view  of  Penobscot  Bav. 
rieal  Cove  Pond,  a  large  and  handsome  sheet  of  water., 
lies  along  its  eastern  side,  bathing  its  feet  and  reflect- 
ing its  image  at  times  as  in  a  glass.  From  the  pond, 
the  sides  of  the  mountain  sweep  upward  like  the  sides 
of  an  anip-hitheatre,  the  wood-crowned  ledges  rising 
tier  on  tier. 


Beech  ^Mountain  is  far  more  popular  than  Western 
^Mountain,  from  which  it  is  sei;arated  by  Long  Lake. 
The  same  road  that  leads  to  the  latter  will  conduct  us 
to  the  former,  if  we  are  careful  to  turn  in  reason  to 
the  right.  The  mountain  road  jiasses  cc:mi;lete]y  over 
between  the  two  highest  peaks,  and  descends  north- 
ward to  the  village  of  Somesville.  On  the  summit, 
and  along  the  south  side,  it  is  extremely  rough,  and 
not  ada[)ted  to  public  travel,  yet  with  a  strong  wagon 
it  is  passable.  This  route  is  the  one  that  would  natu- 
rallv  be  selected,  and  vet  to  ascend  from  Somesville  is 
mt)re  pleasing.  It  involves  eight  or  nine  miles  of 
additional  travel,  but  whoever  has  the  time  to  spare 
will  not  regret  the  labor.  The  road  to  8omes\ille  is 
nearly  seven  miles  long,  and  thence,  turning  to  the 
left,  it  is  two  and  a  half  miles  to  tlie  first  peak,  called 


-f^i^^WWJi—JU>"Uii  .1  II  - 


Among  the  Mountains. 


65 


the  Nipple.  The  ascent  is  very  graduah  and  the  hill 
is  round  as  a  whale's  hack.  It  is  covered  with  fields, 
farms,  and  grass-lands,  ai;d  on  the  latter  were  whole 
seas  of  luittercnps  and  .laisies,  wavinij  in  rare  heautv 
hefore  the  morninix  sun.  AVe  came  this  wav  our- 
selves,  and  as  we  ascended  it  was  deliiihtful  to  study 
each  new  exiKnidinu  scene.  Ixeachiniif  the  hase  of  tlie 
first  peak,  we  left  our  cari-iage  and  walked  to  the  to}), 
where  the  pros[)ect  i)roved  quite  enchanting.  North- 
ward, the  mountriin  descended  gently  to  Somesville ; 
beyond  were  the  Narrows,  where  tlic  island  keeps 
trvst  with  the  main,  which  Ikm'c  is  fenced  in  hv  some 
low  ])iit  iin(i  hills  ;  eastwai'd  lay  Denning's  Lake,  the 
peaks  of  Dog  ^Mountain,  tlie  Gold-Diggers'  (Uen, 
Stmies'  Sound  honh^red  ])y  green  woods  and  hut- 
ressed  in  the  centre  hy  Mansell,  and  beyond  were  the 
heights  of  Goldsborough,  smiling  upon  the  enciicling 
bav  :  westward  we  marked  the  graceful  sununit  of  lUue 
Ilill,  the  <listant  reaches  of  Penobscot  Pay  genuned 
with  fair  isles  and  crowned  by  tlie  Camden  Heights; 
while  directly  before  us  were;  the  slopes  of  "SVi'^tern 
^lountain.  risini;  Pi'acefully  from  the  shadowv  waters 
of  Long  Lake,  which  slumbered  in  p.eace  at  our 
feet. 

Descending,  we  regained  the  road,  and  went  on  to 
still  higher  iri'ound.  turning  to  tin;  left  anioiii;  the  lields, 
and  workiiiix  our  wav  on  foot  towards  the  eastern 
summit,  near  which  we  looked  down  one  of  those 
tremendous  clitls  aboundinn  in  this  island,  and  viewed 


66 


AjJiojig  tJic  Moiuitains. 


the  waters  r,f  T^eiiiiiiiG^'s  Lake.  Storm  (lifr  is  of 
great  lieiiilit.  and,  like  tlioi-e  of  Dog  ]\roiiiitaiii.  it  di-ops 
per|:eii(li''iikir]y  to  tlie  Avater,  tlie  face  koiiig  totally 
iiuK.'ce^sikle.  It  a|)};e<'irs  to  the  finest  advantage,  how- 
ever, from  tlie  opi-osite  siik^  of  the  lake,  whidi  is 
skirtcMJ  liv  the  Somesville  road,  and  the  j  asFor  may 
thus  get  a  glimpse  of  it  through  the  trees,  lint  it 
is  best  to  go  down  to  the  edge  of  the  lake,  A\here  the 
elitf  I'ises  directlv  in  fi'ont  iu  all  its  majesty.  'When 
lashed  l)y  the  stoims,  which  rave  around  these  hills 
with  the  furv  of  fallen  aniicls,  the  view  is  snhlime. 
How  do  the  mistv  battalions  chariie  noon  the  liviuij 
rock,  and  then  break  and  ily  !  There  is  certainly  a 
soul  in  them;  and  even  now  the  memory  of  a  stormy 
day  on  that  shore  allures  me  down  from  sunny  sloiies 
and  shad}'  ridges  to  view  once  more  their  great  con- 
llicts. 

]iut  there  is  a  third  peak  of  Heech  ]\rountain  to 
climb,  and  when  we  leave  the  rough  I'oad  and  scale 
tliis  ijranite  cone,  it  becomes  no  trillinij  work.  Ama- 
rinta  could  not  do  it,  and  so  was  left  for  a  little  while 
to  the  companionship  of  a  cou})lc^  of  kind,  motluMly- 
looking  cows,  and  1  sci*ambled  u[)  to  the  top.  From 
the  Mimmit  of  a  reck  all  that  was  seen  from  the  iirst 
peak  now  appeared  in  fresh  beauty,  with  the  additional 
prosjiect  of  the  opei?ing  towards  the  south,  which  re- 
vealed South-west  Harbor,  the  mouth  of  Somes' 
Sound,  Ihiss  Harbor,  the  eastern  islands,  and  the 
boundless  sea. 


J-. 


imo/i'S  tJic  Mountains. 


6/ 


It  would  have  boon  a  |)lcasur(^  t<i  delay  Ium-c  i'»r 
hours,  but  it  w;is  uecessary  to  descend.  >s(»r  did  I  u'l'i 
back  any  too  soon,  for  while  I  was  ^.^tWi'  an  uund\' 
steer  joined  the  [)eacetid  party  left  below,  ]a>hiiig  ]ii> 
tail  at  the  air  so  furiously,  that  .\inarinta  liad  taken 
possession  of  the  reins,  and  was  about  to  drivt.'  oil"  and 
h'aye  nn;  to  tramp  hon.u^  on  foot.  We  returned  to 
Soiilh-west  Harbor,  by  the  way  of  the  rouiih  nioun- 
tain  roail,  <n'eatly  deliiihted  with  the.  trip. 


Dog  ]\rountain  is  th.e  local  iianu^  of  the  eminence 
rising  on  the  boi-der  (if  the  souimI.  J-'rcm  one  pcjsition 
towards  the  south  it  appeal's  to  be  an  immen.n*,  ma-> 
of  granite,  ni'urly  llat  on  the  to]),  and  with  no  conieli- 
iiess  to  rec(  nnneiid  it.  ()nthe  S(;niesville  road,  near 
Denninii's  Lake,  we  uct  >ome  idea  (d*  its  altitude,  aii<l 
catch  a  glimpse  of  numerous  steep,  bare;  ledges;  l)ut 
it  will  not  be  appi'e<'iated  until  thoroughly  elind)e(l. 
The  reader  has  already  been  introduced  to  one  of  its 
cliil's.  and  the  ( Jold-I)igi:'ers'  (ilen,  y<'t  there  is  much 
remainiii!.''  tha^  will  repay  stu<ly. 

The  heiixht  of  this,  as  well  as  ot'  the  other  mountains, 
except  (jri'eeu  Moun'ain  and  XcnvpiU't,  is  not  known. 
and  we  w\\\  only  left  to  conjecture.  l)"g  Mountain 
falls  below  I'eecli  Mountain  in  altip.id(>,  yet,  ri>iiig  as 
it  d(;es  di'/ectly  1". (  m  the  \\ater,  not  an  inch  is  lot  in 
the  m'neial  elVect  by  the  interference  of  other  obiec;-. 
This.  i!:(le((l,  is  ;in  adxantage  possesM'd  by  all  thc>e 
seagirt  mountains,  v.hich.  \\liile  lower  tlian  the  ('at>- 
kills,  idways  eipial  and  (d'ten  exceed  them  in  e^ec^ 


6S 


Among  the  Mojintains, 


The  ascent  of  Dog  ^Mountain  is  easier  than  that  of 
any  of  tlie  liiglier  peaks.  Three  (jnarters  of  an  liour 
from  South-west  Harbor,  takinij  tli(3  ri'^lit-hand  road 
to  rernahl's  Point,  will  hv\\\\f  a  ^(wA  ^valker  to  the 
place  \\h«'r(i  he  heuins  the  ascent,  which  is  near  the 
valley,  terminatiiiii:  in  the  cove.  The  route  lies 
thi'ouiih  sheep-walks  and  over  bare  ledges,  and  is 
occasionally  obstructed  Iw  small  spruces  or  i)ines. 
Keeping  well  to  the  right,  the  escarjiment  of  the  clilis 
is  reached,  and  the  way  is  plain  to  the  highest  peaks. 

Ciaininii*  the  tirst  elevation,  we  fmd  that  it  termi- 
nates  in  a  lofty  precijiice  called  Kagle  Cliff,  turning 
away  from  the  sound  and  facinii;  the  beautiful  valley 
formed  by  Flying  ^Mountain,  which  now  apjiears 
scarcely  liiiiher  than  a  molehill.  I  climbed  it  alone 
on  the  Fourth  (,f  duly.  The  sun  was  intensely  hot, 
sulliciently  so,  indeed,  to  nearly  boil  one's  brains 
How  ijrateful  was  the  cool  breeze  aloni::  this  maixniti- 
cent  height,  and  liow  lovely  the  view  both  on  the 
sound  and  at  sea ! 

The  last  half  a  mile  was  a  scrand)lc  over  great  dis- 
jointed rocks  upheayed  in  the  Titanic  past,  and  here 
and  there  covered  with  dense  thickets.  At  last  I 
reached  the  ajiex,  marked  l)y  Ji  rude  cairn,  to  which 
every  I'ight-minded  tourist  is  exp.ected  to  contribute 
a  stone.  On  looking  about,  it  is  found  that  this  moun- 
tain is  the  most  barren  of  the  western  group,  and  that, 
instead  of  being  flat-top})e(l,  it  has  a  well-tlelined  ])eak 
rising  far  above  tlie  lirst  landing-place,  which  had  the 


AinojKT  tJtc  Mountains. 


69 


0 


appearance  of  being  the  snnimit.  The  view  towards 
the  west  is  slint  in,  more  or  less,  bv  lieach  Monnlain. 
Denning's  Lake,  which  lies  so  near  at  the  west,  is  invis- 
ible. The  finest  views  are  had  np  and  down  tlio 
sonnd.  Here  we  are  able  to  look  into  the  neiiihbor- 
ing  valleys  and  ravines  and  inspect  the  physical  jtecn- 
liarities  of  this  hiij^liland  reuion,  wliich  is  everywhere 
deeply  scarred  by  the  old  geol(»gical  agents.  The 
development  of  llie  tra[)-r()('k  is  very  marked.  Intrn- 
sions,  ^arvin<x  in  width  from  three  to  thirty  feet,  may 
be  traced  along  the  axis  of  elevation.  In  one  phice  I 
noticed  that  the  ihce  of  the  traj)  had  been  laid  bare 
by  a  fanlt  in  the  granite,  expos-ing  an  innnense  wall 
forty  or  liftv  feet  hi<ih.  Thes<^  \eins  mav  nndonbtedlv 
be  traci.'d  for  miles,  their  extent  indicating  tin?  vast 
destrnctive  powers  which  nature  has  in  stort',  j)owers 
iliat,  if  niichanied,  would  soon  cause  all  the  elements 
to  hiss  and  bubble  in  (he  fervent  lu'at. 

AVliut  studies  in  rock  arc;  here  unfolded  to  the 
painter,  as  well  as  to  the  ureoloiiist  I  How  i;lori<nisly 
craiT  is  ])iled  on  craix.  now  laid  iirndv  t(»u('ther  with 
masonic  skill,  and  now  gaping  with  seams  and  rents, 
instantly  threateninix  to  fall ! 

"With  reluctance  1  rose  from  my  hard  couch  under 
the  shadow  of  the  cairn,  and,  after  castinii"  a  farewell 
ijlance  into  the  Gold-Diiriiers'  Cilen,  so  replete  wiili 
romantic  l)eautv,  I  beiian  mv  tramp  downward. 
Iveaching  the  brow  of  the  precipice  overlooking  the 
cove,  1  paused  again,  enchanted  by  the  beauty  of  tho 


70 


inioj^fT  the  Mountains. 


f^conc.  Tt  wMs  H()U'  liiuli  inioii,  {Ik;  brtM'zc  liiid  (lied 
uwiiy,  iind  ;i  dead  cnliii  picxaihd.  Tlitj  sound  lay 
})(.'i')i('  iiu!  smooth  as  a  sea  of  gla.>s  ;  lujarer  was  tlio 
^rccii  cove,  wlu'iMj  tlio  brick-rud  cows  soiigliL  llio 
.-Iiadc  of  tlic  rocks:  whiU;  l^lNiiiu' Mountain  ic-e  un 
beyond  Jik<j  S(ane  I'air  green  altar  })re[;are(l  for 
>a('rilice.  ^\]1  sounds  around  me  were  Inislied  in  this 
houi"  ol' noontide  cahn.  and  only  the  report  of  an  occa- 
sional JJl)ertv  ii'un  came  Ixioniini'-  across  the  waters 
of  Penobscot  J;av.  1  sat  lieie  loni>-  to  irazi;  upon  this 
x'ciK!  of  enchantment,  and  at  the  sauu;  time  caik'd 
to  mind  an  incident  al)out  the  clitf  ^\llich  was  told 
me  one  d;iy  by  a  I'aiiner  as  we  walked  in  tin;  cove 
below,  considering  the  all-al>sorbing  (question  of  buried 
gold. 

Lookinir  ui)  at  these  liranite  walls,  I  asked  if 
it  was  possible!  to  scale  them.  lie  replied  that  it 
was  not.  tliough  he  jiad  been  able  to  make  his  ^vay  up 
at  the  side.  (Jne  of  his  sheep,  it  appears,  had  slipped 
jtart  way  down  the  clilf.  and  aligliied  upon  a  ])roJect- 
ing  ledge.  The  })oor  creature  was  unable  to  extricate 
herself  from  this  perilous  position,  not  having  the 
power  to  get  either  u[)  or  down.  Here;  u[K)n  this 
]:arrow  pastui'c.  where  a  suekk'U  blast  might  whiil  h.er 
otr,  and  m;d\e  nmtton  of  her  on  the  cruel  rocks  hun- 
di'eds  of  i'eet  below,  she  manaucd  to  br«iwse  Ibr  nearlv 
a  fortnight,  sul»>istin<^  upon  moss  and  accidental  UKds- 
lure,  wiiile  hei"  piteous  cries  daily  fell  iainter  and 
fainter  in   the  farmer's  ear.     At   last  a   man,   moved 


Among  the  MountaiiiSy 


71 


with  pity,  V(tliiiif('(MH'(l  on  Suiiday  afternoon  to  attempt 
it  rescue.  ArnuMl  witii  a  l<>iiy"  pole,  he  tried  to  make 
his  wav  clown  to  the  ledue,  and  whe'n  last  seen  he  was 
lyiiii^  upon  his  faee,  seareliinj^  out  a  passage.  A 
minute  afterwards  tliose  anxiously  watehin<4'  him  sud- 
denly found  that  lu;  had  di.>a[)[)eai'e(l.  The  discovery 
illl<(l  them  with  con>ternati(»n.  Looking'  al)o\e  tiiey 
c;)uld  not  see  him  retreating,  and  th(3  conclusion  was, 
that  he  had  fallen  nnohservetl,  and  was  dashed  in 
})ieces.  The  alarm  was  raise(l,  ila^  iieighhors  assem- 
hk'fl,  and  after  a  dilii-ent  hut  fruitless  search,  they 
concluded  to  uive  it  up.  Jhit  hefore  relurnini:",  tliev 
raised  a  ninted  shout,  callini''  the  man  hv  name,  if, 
haply,  he  miiiht  still  he  alive.  And  the  eciio  had 
liardlv  died  awav  when  the  man  came  our  throuiili 
tin;  hushes  of  the  cove  and  stood  nnliarmecl  hetoi'o 
them.  Here  was  a  miracle?  Not  (piite  ;  for,  instead 
of  tundding  down  the  clitf,  he  hecame  frin"htene<l  and 
crawled  l)ack  throunh  a  crevice  in  the  rock,  afterwards 
descending  the  opposite  sidi^  (d'  the  mountain  to  visit 
a  neiiihhor,  from  whose  hous(3  he  was  now  reiurniuij 
home.  The  people  felt  greatly  relieved,  though  some- 
what foolish;  l)Ut  the  faint  cry  of  the  poor  sheep  still 
iloaled  down  from  her  narrow  prison.  Jt  was  accord- 
ingly res(dved  to  make  a  fresh  attempt,  and  a  rojie 
ha\ing  heen  })rovided,  a  sailor  was  let  down  to  the 
ledge.  After  some  ellort,  he  hrought  up  the  faudshed 
creature  in  liis  arms.  As  for  the  hrave  fellow  himself, 
he  was  drowned  hut  a  little  while  uijo.     On   a  cold 


72 


Aino)i(r  tJic  Mountains. 


winter  iiiglit  his  vessel  was  riiiiniiig  f„r  Sqiuxm  Light 
in  a  tliie-k  snow-stoim,  when  she  struek  the  beaeh, 
bilged,  luid  l)uriied  up. 

80  much  fur  tlic  story  ;    and  now  here   were  the 
chtls   before   me,  gray,   steep,  and    perilous  as   ever. 
And  could  I  get  down?     Hoc  labor  est.     1   certainly 
tlionglit  the  dilliculty  had  been  overrated  and  berran 
to  beat  about  in  every  possible  jdace  to  find  some  way 
to  descend.     ]5ut  after  cautic.uslv  trvimx  a   hundred 
and    fifty    feet    the   (lilficnlty    grew    more    and    more 
api)arent,  and  the  way  was  at  last   barred  by   one  of 
tliose   perpendicular    walls    of  granile    that    yield    to 
no  argument  or  j  -u-suasion.     Discretion  was  here  the 
better  part  of  V.  :   r,   and  accordingly!  climbed   back 
to  the  summit  again,  where  I  caught  the  faint  halloo 
of  a    })()ating-party   on    the    strand.       Thev   saw  mo 
\\\)  among  the  crags,  reduced   in   the    distance    to    a 
speck,  and  sent  up  their  salutations.     They  acknowl- 
edged my  own  with  a  waving  of  hats;  but  Echo  took 
It  up  and  sent  it  back  with   peri'ect  distinctness  from 
the  far-offsides  of  Mount  :Mansell.     Just  then  a  light 
breeze  swept  down  through  the  cove,  kissed  the  white 
sails  of  the  little  yacht,  and  bore  her  away. 


Flying  Mountain  is  a  pigmy  among  the  hills,  yet 
here  the  lover  of  the  beautifid  would  build  his  cha- 
teau. It  was  observed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  in  our 
trip  up  the  sound,  but  it  now  requires  more  particu- 
lai'   consideration.      Its  situation  is   unecpialled.      It 


Among  the  Mountains,  y^, 

seems  as  if  pluc.,1  Ikto  to  afionl  tl.c  best  j.os.siMo 
out-louk  upon  the  lovJicst  sceiioi-y  of  the  souiul.  The 
ai.i)ruu(.li  is  quite  ruiiKintic.  S.^oii  after  Jeuvin-  the 
turn  of  tlie  read  at  the  head  of  South-we.t  IIjuImt 
the  mouMtaiii  lifts  itself  ui>  to  o-,vat  a.lvanl.o-e  heyoiul 
the  liel.ls,  vet  wlieii  we  reacli  a  given  point  near  the 
cove  it  affords  a  pleasing  surprise,  l.reakino-  into  vieu- 
throngh  the  trees,  with  a  part  of  Dog  .Mountain  ap- 
pearnig  on  the  left. 

It  is  moreover  a  place  that  all  can  visit.     3Ir.  Ohl- 
style  was   delighted   because  it   was  historic   groun.l  • 
yet  he  confessed  that  its   easy  slopes  snit(Ml   Ids   K-..' 
He   would  none  of  your  tramps  and  fbrced  marclKs 
through  tangh,d  woods  and  dells.     That  wouhl  do  f„r 
poachers  and  bnys.      He  oftcui  shook  his  head  at  our 
folly.      IJut  now  he  felt  that  he  had  an  object  before 
Inm.     This  was  the  beautiful  hill  of  Father  Jiiard   of 
Masse,  and  of  lJ,other  Gilbert  du  Thet.     So,  plant- 
ing Ins  gold-mounte.l   stick   in   the  con.pact    soil    he 
ninibly  trod  the  beaten  path  of  the  woollv  sln^ep  and 
ascended   to   the  sumnut,   where    he    seat(Ml    hims.If 
upon  a  rock,  and,  slightly  accommodating    a   (p.ota- 
tion  from  Shakspeare,  delivered  himself  as  follows- 


"Th'iH  ^^o^lntain  liadi  n  pleasant  scat;  fl 
Nimbly  and  sweetly  recommouas  itself 
Unto  our  gentle  sensct!." 


10  air 


Tlioreupou  lie  lui.l  asi.lo  hi.  broad-brhnme,!  Imf,  an.l 
allowed   the  soft  summer  breeze  to  wander  at  will 


^'^T 


74 


Among  the  Mouiitaiiis. 


""""•^,'';-;  '"'•'^^-     ^\'"  '■■'•'  ''i">  "-  vieu-  at  l..is„,.o  the 

gnxM,    |,ol,ls   l.,.|„w,   Ul„.,0   ,1,,,    I.-,,,,,|,   ,,„i|t    j,,^.;,.    ,ijj,^ 

l-i-'.  -t  ni.  tl„.i,-  „.,„s,  raise-,!  Ih.  Cross,  .sang  ,l,o  J/„,,, 
a..,l  clmnl.,1   („///,,  ,ry/,, ^„.,,/,,,„,,  .  „,  j,,,,,^  ^^^^^^^^ 

oi.    the    o:dn.    ualor.s   ,;1-   il,.;   s,,ui„l,  ,vl„.r>;   Ar-Ml's 

r'"''  ;'""'^ •■^"i'''  ^''^  ••^"   ''n'""-,"   iKHMing  i,r  l„.r 

lM-ou.ls„l.  .Moaiust,  tl,.  l.-re„.-l,  ;  t„  see  ,l„  Tl„.;  spri,,..- 

n.g  to  ,l,c  g„.s  ,vi,lMl,c  s|,irit,  or  H  l.cTojMU  .luirMv- 
.'lM.St.Mvel.erinl.is.nv,,   l.loo,I;,osoo,l„.„„om,al 
hgl.t.  the  s,,.o,ly  surrcMdcr,  l!,e   jiillago  of   the   l,.„ts 
the  solenn,  fu„or;,l  of  ,ho  sh.in,  a,„i,  timillv.  tho  ,lo- 
l""'t"ro    of    Argall,    h.,ni„g     t],c    .levastal,.!     can,,, 
w.-oatl,e,l  in  s.noke.    These  things  ],uvo  nou-  all  pass, 'l 
iiwa.y,  yet  to   o„r  anli,,„ai'ian  f,ie,„l   they   ai'o   vivid 
realities.     Gilbert  ,1,.  Tl,efs  ashes  rest  some»he.-o  be- 
t-eath  yomle,-  g,-ee„swa„l,  the  s,a-i„g  fron,  ,vl,ieh   he 
«ln,nk  .still  flow.s  out  fn,„i  „n,l,.r  (Ik.  l„i„H  of  |l,is  hill 
the  nu,„„lain.s   n,„n,  whieh  he  ga.e.l  ,x.n,ain,  thesan.J 
ocean  l.,-eaks  np,,,.  ,],,  shore,  un,l  d,e  san,e  stars   an.l 
sky  look  ,loun  fi-om  above.      A  single  etn,rt  of  the 
""agination  re-c,-eufes  the  scene.     So  let  „s  ,.ive  3Ir 
OMstyle  a  few  minutes  to  himself,  and  u-e  uifl  scram- 
ble ah.ng  the  ri,lge  of  the  n,ountaii,,  uhieh  now  as- 
sumes a  wil.ler  aspect,  being   broken   up   and  .seamed 
"■'t  '  t.-ap,  and  sentinelled  here  and  there  «ith   the 
lialt-buiiit  trui,ks  of  pine. 

At  the  termination  of  the  ri,lge  the  mountain  de- 
scen,ls  abruptly  to  the  sound,  leaving  no  beach.  It  is 
therefore  impracticable  to  pass  urouud  ou  the  water  side 


Afnojig  the  Mounta 


/  :> 


.-5 


"'■''""'"''•    '"-'•      'J-'-    ^^■"■..f    llH.   ,„.i.,l,l„„.i„„ 

:""""-- '•.■„„ui,is  ,,„i,u  is  most  i„v..iv.  I,!,.,.,,'  r 

a      you,.        ,,,,,,,,,   ,,,,,^,,, i-l-n!,„C 

incnillv  iMii.K  .  socius  i,,  .„lv.,,...    .•  i 

w,.  1,.,,'        r     >  "•■"l\.H.v<>  Iron,  il,,.  ,..-i,|.      I  !,.,■,, 

«  ^  li.-' a    i<.hvK.voni..j„ni,,,.  Wins, ,■,!,.., ;,,,.,. 

..u    h,.,,l,,s,  ,vl,H.l,  ,,,.,.  n  „•,,,.,,. I,  ,,,.,.,;,,,,,,, ,,,^ 
o      l.o-nc,ent,.fi„,s.      T.u,..,.,,.;   .s,,,,..   .l,e   viow 

g.anue  bosses  of   S.,-,..,.  ,,„,   (;,„„,,; ,.^^ 

;:r:^-^""-f--  •••■ i'iM^i .uo  .,,„,,:, 

a    a,   „,   ,,„y  .1,,    ,,.„.    ,,.„„,,,.,,,,,,_   ^^^^^1    ^^ 

""   "">,nfaM,.s,  o,..e  across  .!,e  s„„lit  islnucls  ,„,ou  ,l,c. 
r..r;.lo  .sea.     All  is  sweetucs,  bca.Uy  a,„l  ,...,,.'.. 

I  .eWc.l  Somosville  as  ,1,0  point  of  .Vparturc  for 
Nm'gents  .M,„„„ai„  o„  ,l,e  oast  si,le  of  ,1,„  .s,„„„l. 
llK.  as,.,.,,,  ,.a„  be  a,.co,„|,lisl,c.,l  by  o,.ossi„g  ,l,e  so,„„l 
fr,m    ,v,,„l,-„-,.st    lla,.bo,-,  yet  few  ,„:.,.so„.s.  ,vl„.„  at 

fT""'.''   """"'"''*'   ""■'-■^'•'-"•■•Mmaio,,,,. 
»>a.<e  a  ,,.,,,  ,0  ,bis  i„vi,i„o.  l„,i.,„,  „,,.,,,   ,i,.,^  ,,_^  ,^, 

up  1.1  ,l,e  cli,tai,cc  before  the  door  of  the  li-,!,,  l,o„e. 


;6 


Among  the  Moimtatns. 


like  liotol.     'Mui  foot  of  tlie  mountaii.  may  be  reached 
cither  by  boat  or  caniaoe.     In  tl,c  hitter  case  it  ^vill 
be  necessary  to  take  the  rcxid  to  Xorth-east  Harbor. 
Tlie  route  by  water  is  ph-asanter,  as  it  ailoi.ls  (.harm- 
ing gbmpses  down  tlie  sound.     A  brisk  row  of  tln-ee- 
fourtlis  of  an    honr  biings   us  to   a  place   called  Seal 
Cove,  like  one  of  the  inlets  on  the   west  shore  of  the 
island,  where  seals  were  formerly  taken  in  abundance 
Here  we  left  the  boat,  struck  across  the  iields,  and 
h'nnd  a  wood  road  running  along  the  base   of  the 
mountain.     JMy  guide  evidently  knew   as  little  about 
the  route  as  I  did,  yet  I  thought  it  well  to   have  him 
along.     Some  men  who  were  hoeing  potatoes  replied 
to  my  inrpiiries  in  a  way  that  showed  a  slio-ht  deoree 
of  contempt  for  city  folk.     They  ''guessed,"  too,'that 
I  meant  to  stay  on  the  mountain  all   niiiht,  thereby 
intending  to  retlect  on  the  judgment  exhibited  in  com- 
mencing  the  ascent  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 
Unablo  to  learn  anything  from  these  churls,  who  had 
lived  here  all    their  li^ cs,  we  pursued  the  ^vocd  road 
iintd  it   became  reduced   to   a  sort  of  squirrel-track, 
and  then  moved  straight  up  the  pathless  side  of  the' 
mountain.     Thickets,  dense   foliage,  and  fallen  trees 
everywhere  obstructed  the  way,  and  a  hard  struirgle 
was  often  required  in  order  to  open  a  passage.     Occa- 
sionally   the   steep    ledges    intervened,    frcm    which 
glimpses  were  had   of  the  expanding  prosi)ect,  while 
it  often  appeared  as  if  the  summit  lay  within  a  few 
rods.     Yet  for  a  long,  toilsome  hour  and  a  half,  ledo-e 


Ainonsr  the  Moiiiitctiiis. 


77 


rose  on  IcmVo.  Finnllv  the  nnox  was  reached  and  tho 
reward  gained.  Every  way  the  prospect  exceeded 
my  anticipations.  From  '?,  liistance  tlie  snmmit  oi"  lh(; 
mountain  appeared  round  and  smooth,  })ut  wlien  actu- 
allv  (Tunl)cd  it  was  found  to  1)C  tlie  most  hroken  and 
ruirged  eniinence  on  the;  island,  and  at  the  sann^  tinio 
the  most  barren  and  desolate.  U'hc  toi)  occujjies  a 
large  ai'ea  full  of  rifts  that,  lower  down,  assume  the 
character  of  chasms  and  I'aviues,  amonu  which  everv- 
thing  excej)t  the  sky  is  frerpiently  lost  to  view.  ^TcMuit 
Manscll,  which  lies  between  Sargent's  ^Fountain  and 
the  sound,  is  scared v  sccm  from  the  northern  itart  of 
the  sunmiit,  the  view  being  obstructed  by  a  spur  of 
Sargent  that  is  separated  from  the  main  ])eak  by  ii 
wild  ravine  with  nearly  })(!ri)endicular  walls.  East- 
ward, however,  there  is  a  fine  view  of  Green  ^Mountain 
brought  out  in  bold  relief  by  the  declining  sun. 

FollowiuiX  the  ridiie  of  Sarijjent's  iNIounlain  south- 
ward  about  half  a  mile,  a  view  of  Eagle  Lake  is  had, 
lying  far  down  among  the  hills  in  the  shade,  and  spark- 
linnr  at  the  eveninij  hour,  like  a  black  diamond.  A  little 
farther  south,  in  a  cup-like  depression  of  the  ridge, 
is  the  Lake  of  the  Clouds,  a  small  body  of  water 
about  an  acre  in  extent,  and  which,  according  to  fable 
has  no  bottom.  Yet  a  line  let  down  from  a  raft  once 
gave  a  depth  of  sixteen  feet.  It  is  supplied  chiefly 
by  the  winter  snows.  This  lake  lies  in  w  hat  resembles 
an  ancient  crater,  though  the  rock  is  of  granite  and 
no  signs  of  volcanic  action  are  visible.     Indeed,  every 


78 


/ 


Among  the  Mountains, 


thinrr  iinlifatos  llic  Mftioii  of  iro  jiimI  fVo.t.  A^rasslz 
AvlH'ii  licrc,  noted  the  rc>('inJ)laii('('  (.['  iliis  nir.m.taiii 
to  llu;  Swi.vs  liills  lliat  Iiavc  Ix-.mi  .sliaicd  l.y  ,-lacial 
action.  'I'll,,  smnniit  is  c'V<'Itw1ici(.  worn  ai:(l  iramdcd 
by  vast  iccliclds  live  or  si.v  llioM>aiid  I'crt  iliick.  uliidi 
tlic  iiTcat  >a\aii  tclJs  us  ci-iislicd  tlicir  way  down  from 
tlic  Iii;;li  ic-ions  of  Kalahdin  to  tlic  -ca.  .\o  Jc-.s 
stiij;cndous  ii  lurcu  could  lia\c  accouipl-slicd  such 
results. 

From  tltis  part  of  ilic  niouutain  tlic  view  is  op.eu 
towards  the  south,  niviu^  ;i  view  of  IladlocU  aiid  dor- 
<lan">  {''oi.ds.  \orth-east  Ilarhoi-,  and  tlie  neinhhoriiig 
rc-'ions,  with  the  hroad  Atlantic  Ixwond. 

As  I  left  tlie  uiai;-in  of  the  Lake  of  the  Clouds,  the 
sun  threw  his  slantino- ])eanis  al:ain^t  the  rose-colored 
lirainte  wall  that  shuts  it  in  on  the  south,  when  the 
rucks  heo-aii  to  mirror  themselves  in  the  water,  tlinoinfr 
down  their  warm  tints  upon  the  ruslies  and  lilv-pads 
\vlii<-h  \V(Mv  o-rowinir  nre,.,i  amonir  ?]„.  (l,-li(.;it(>lv  pen- 
cilliMl  imaii-es  of  tlie  dwarfed  s|.riu*e  and  pine. 

Th(?  descent  was  accompli^hed  hy  a,  ditleront  and 
still  mon^  (lillicult  route.  A  tolerably  easy  way  coidd 
liave  l.eeu  found  alono-  by  Jonlan's  I'ond.  yet  mv 
destination  was  Somesville  ;  and,  theiefore",  after 
sc  amblino-.hjwnward  a  short  <listance.  in  a  si.utherlv 
(lirection,  we  look  the  ranoe  of  prominent  p<.ints  oli 
Mount  .Mans(dl  and  prepared  to  move  westward  down 
across  the  ^V^.^x'  valley  to  the  North-east  JIarbor  road. 
liut  here  the  wild  beauty  of  the  scene  delaved  me  for 


I 


Ajiioji^:^  tJic  Mounia'uis. 


79 


a  littlo  wliilo.  ii(»t\vith>tiin(Hiiij  tin*  nii^ht  \v;i-^  ODiniiiix  on, 
ami  a  loiii;"  tramp  was  still  to  he  accompli^licd.  'riicic, 
a  llioiisiind  tret  Ix'low.  lay  a  loiii^  verdin'c-dail  xallcy, 
sweeping  down  from  th(^  rit't<'d  summit  ai;.-  sides  (»!' 
Sar'^cnt's  Mountain,  into  wliich.  llii-ouuh  rockv  delilcs, 
the  scttiiiix  sun  threw  loiii:;  lances  ot'  liiilit  lliat  onlv 
served  to  rendei"  llu;  f;i>t-i:atlierin<j;  shade  more  impi'es- 
sive.  r>ut  what  jn'oveil  (Mjually  heautit'ul  was  liie 
rmisic  of  iIh'  hiids.  which  IVom  llie  dav  I  fu'st  stepped 
ashoi'e  at.  Mount  De.-ert  neNcr  ceased  to  pro\  (;  a  source 
of  delight.  And  now  tin;  uhoh^  valley  i-anii;  Avith 
Bonii".  and,  as  a  <lead  calm  prevailed,  exci-y  note  was 
cauiiht  up  ami  eclioed  amoni;"  the  mountains,  the  eO'ect 
beiiii^'  a>  >iiiLiular  as  it  was   beautiful. 

lint  I  was  soon  ailinoinshe(l  hv  mv  irinde  of  tho 
necessity  of  imshini'"  on,  and  therefore  I  reluclantlv 
souu[ht  the  edii'e  of  th(3  decdivity  and  slid  d(»wn  IVoin 
rock  to  rock  amonii"  the  trees,  until  I  reachi'd  an  open 
place  near  tin;  centre  of  the  \alley,  whert^  I  could 
look  up  at  the  craij;  wlTadi  I  had  ju>t  left.  Then, 
piishiniij  into  tln^  deliso  woods,  we  heat  our  way 
through  tlie  under-hrush,  amidst  the  f i>t-i;atlierinu 
^loom,  u!itil,  lonii;  afier  sunset,  we  joyfully  emerged 
ii)>ou  the  road  which  jiasses  under  the  pei))endi(adar 
cliU's  in  the  east  side  (»f  ]\Iount  Maiisell.  'TIk^  walk 
liere  in  this  notch  is  alwavs  tiiu',  hut  at  twilight  it  is 
unusually  interestin^i;. 

A  rapid  walk  of  two  miles  iiortlnvanl  hrouiilit  tis  to 
the  cove  in  Somes'  S(JU1h1,  w  here  we  liad  left  the  boat. 


So 


Among  the  Mountains. 


It  was  soon  lMuiicl,ed,  and  speedincr  on  its  wav,  inipollod 
U  two  flasliii.ir  oars.     On  tliis  occasion  I  Imd  an  op- 
l.ortunity  of  witnessing  tlio  eiTcct  of  a  snnnner  tui- 
liglitonlliis   beautiful   sheet  of   water;    for  the   sky, 
barred  witli  crimson   and  imri,le,  flo.,de<l   tlie  surface 
witli  its  own   deep   hues,   wliile    Do<r   ]\rountain  and 
:\rount  Mansell  flung  tlieniselves  darkly  down  at  full 
lengtli  on  tlie  calm,  i)ulseless  tide.     And  out  of  their 
shadows  loomed  numerous  spectral  sails,  while  a  lioht 
in  the  win<low  of  a  distant  cottage  threw  down  a  faint 
ilame  that  vaiuly  tried  to  dance  upon  the  waves  risin^. 
in  our  homeward  track.  ° 

At  halt-past  nine  o'clock  our  boat  grounded  at  the 
head  of  the  sound,  and  soon  after  the  kind  hostess  of 
the  ]\Iount  Desert  House  welcomed  me  to  a  steamincr 
supper.  ^ 


J 


AMOXG     THE    MO  U X  7\l  /XS. 
c  II  A  PT  i:u    V  [  [. 

Bai!  II  vuiioii  —  Tin;  A^^tknt  or  (iRr.r.v — Tin:  ri;o«n.(  r — 
Xhhit  — A  Tin:Ni)i:i{  SioitM  —  Tm:  I)i;s<  i:nt  —  Niwi-ort 
—  IIo.Mi;u  —  IJoiM)  I'l  AK  —  i;<n(>  Xon  II — I)uv  Mm  v- 
TAiN  — I'l'  Gui;i;n  —  I.>a(k  Acaix. 

OTWITIISTANDIXG  tlio  boautv  nf  iho 
]  western  i^n-oup,  tlie  inoiuitjiiiis  <:i^t  of 
Somes'  Soniid  present  >tlll  urcatci-  inifi'est 
CBSS^aSR]  and  v:iric!tv.  Conseinientlv  they  are  lict- 
ter  luiowii,  and  more  llioronii'lily  studied. 

AVitli  lli(i  execption  of  ^lan'-cll  and  Sai'iJitTit.  tlicv 
are  all  to  be  rea(died  Irom  the  ea>l  side  ot'  tlic  -ouiid. 
]?ar  Harbor  i>  the  prop.er  point  ot"  dcp.nrtuic.  and  by 
makini;"  the  ascent  of  Newport  and  (Jrecn  Mountain, 
we  can  <s\'m  an  aecpiaintanee  with  the  i«>t. 

Ot"  all  these  sea-girt  mountains,  \t\vporl.  after 
(irern  .Ab>uiitain,  i>  deservedly  tia^  mo>t  popul.ir. 
Some  p.rrsons  e\en  plaee  Xew[»oit  in  the  adxanee  of 
(Ireen.  declaring  that  it  )ias  peculiar  attiMctions  for 
which  nothing  can  compensate,  ^'et,  while  conceding 
♦he  advantages  of  Neupoif.  (ireen  ^lonntain  elevuh^s 
itself  above  all  the  rest,  both  in  pictorial  interest  and 
in  connnandinix  he^Liht. 


82 


Amo/i^r  the  Mountains. 


In  crossinij  the  island  to  Bar  Harbor,  our  friend 
Oldstyle,  and  others  averse  to  chnibing,  were  left 
behind,  while  new  friends  and  acquaintances  entered 
the  circle.  Here  the  mountain  tramp  is  never  a  soli- 
tary excursion.  At  a  signal,  troops  of  pedestrians 
issue  forth  to  explore  the  nei^diborinii:  regions,  and 
two  or  three  in  nearlv  cverv  circle  were  always  ready 
to  climb  the  highest  i)eak  and  the  most  dillicult  pass 

IJut  happily  Green  Mountain  presents  few  o])sta- 
clcs  in  the  way  of  visitors.  For  a  nund)er  of  years 
tlie  olhcers  of  the  Coast  Survey  had  an  Observatory 
on  its  summit,  and  when  work  was  suspended  a  toler- 
able road  was  left,  which  has  since  been  im])roved  to 
such  an  extent  that  carriages  can,  if  necessary,  ascend 
to  the  top;  though  it  is  the  custom  for  most  persons 
to  perform  the  last  two  miles  on  loot.  The  whole 
distance,  f)ur  miles  from  tlui  village,  is  a  pleasant 
excursion  for  a  pedestrian  in  full  strength. 

As  we  ascend,  Kagle  Lake  conies  in  \ie\v  on  the 
riflht,  Ivinij^  alonir  the  flank  of  the  mountain  in  a 
trough-like  depression,  while  beyond  the  ranges  rise 
in  regular  order.  The  view  towards  New})ort  and 
the  sea  is  shut  in  bv  the  woody  ridijfe  of  Green  iNToun- 
tain,  along  the  back-bone  of  which  the  road  runs, 
though  at  several  points  about  half  way  up  may  be 
liad  charmiuix  iilimnses  of  Goldsborou<di  .M(jun tains 
and  Frenclunan's  Bay.  Finally,  on  reaching  the  top, 
a  glowing  prospect  greets  the  eye,  land  and  sea  ming- 
ling in  the  most  captivating  forms.     In  a  clear  day 


Awoug  the  Mountains.  g, 

S:  :1:;::  •;;'-•;:"':"•  V":  ^" ^^^--^ 

hca.l.  '"    ^^"'••''■■■•"e    to    mn.il   i;s 

V'l  •    .  '''''^^'      J  iie  scene  is  one  <,f  ,.n>.,f  ]„..,,..,. 

c,i\'-^  a  sketdi  111  Ills  i),w>in   i,<s     7/         If 
.      1.^    iKiKh   JuMiiHt    jM.est   on    one    of  these 
-aks.  u iiere,  wJnie  ga.in.  on  the  scene  belou ,  iie 

J  'at  n,.h,Jyui,l,  hi.  slumbers  conu'- 

»'^'vi.u>saro,nMl,l.ehil]-MU.Mvr,.aM.i'n.. 

»»JtJmitli>  bu.M.m,  blur  Oaionie 

*  *  ♦  *  #      *      # 

l'orJierebororelumisuiMu;icd 
J^a.h.d  <](..;,  in  ,nun,in;r.,i]^,„,„. 

^^^^■''•^"«^"^^<^o,isa,s(l,c(]u.am  ' 

Oi  tliebeutitii.|...s,„ay  hlhi; 

Iion.cu,,uar(linextatiobli^s 

^''^''''I'tentliUHastH.ar.suway 
i'>abn-htorr.o,;,|,i,.,„t,.i,. 

A  mortal •s.Mi.npso  beyond  f  1.0  palo- 
A  inoiuoiifs  Jilting  ol  (1,0  veil." 

ii.I'';.2^'lr  7" '' ''•"■ '-^  «'■""-''.- ,,v  two 

ea        T  '""  ""^"'^  ""••"'-" -t  „,:,,  :„„„,. 


84 


Among'  the  Mountains. 


sea,  is  fill('(l  witli  sinnll  trees  find  slirnbs.  CVossinr. 
near  its  licad  and  descendiiiLT  in  a  uotiu'ly  direction, 
we  leacli  tlie  In-ow,  wliere  may  Ijc  liad  a  line  \ie\v  of 
tli(3  wild  I'eiiion  Jvinii"  l)etween  (ireen  ^Mountain  and 
Sargent.  Peinetic  is  se<Mi  elos(!  at  liand,  lit'iing  up 
its  sliarp  l)an'en  ridge  ;  the  l>ul)l)le  ]Monnlains  next 
appear,  icjoicing  ni(;dest']y  in  llieir  green  ei'owns  of 
le.sf-er  hcinlit  ;  l)evond  is  tlic  dark  but  sidendid  ranire 
of  Sai'iicnt.  sliultiuix  in  the  sky;  while  Kn^le  Lake 
stretches  noi'lhward  at  our  feet.  Only  the  more  };er- 
sistent  clind)er  jienetrates  into  these  recesses  of  ^Mount 
Desert,  where  Ik;  may  any  day  come  face  to  fact;  with 
the  fierce-lo(jking  hnt  inolU-nsive  A\ild-cat,or  the  harm- 
less d«'er.  One;  ncNcr  tires  of  looking  down  upon  tluj 
dai'k,  tanirled  ^\()ods,  the  ianu'ed  iseaks,  rwid  dusky 
glens,  where  the  light  and  shade  Ik  .'Id  perp.etual  play, 
briniiini''  out  the  stronij^est  and  most  beautiful  etiects. 
Other  Aei-y  line  \iews  may  be  had,  to  ^ee  which 
we  must  scramble  around  the  entire  summit.  ]>ut 
only  one  of  these  can  be  mentioned  here,  though  in 
souie  resj;ects  it  is  the  grandest  to  be  had  on  the  wlmle 
i.->land.  It  is  seen  from  the  north-east  brow,  where 
the  yi>itor  looks  down  into  the  Otter  Creek  \'allev, 
lying  between  (ireen  Mountain  and  its  spur  known 
as  Dry  Mountain.  The  i)ros[)ect  is  marked  both  by 
variety  and  magnitude.  Immediately  before  u.s  is  tlu^ 
valley,  a  thousand  feet  deep,  clothed  in  dark  gi-ccn 
forests,  well-watered  in  the  centre  by  a  cool,  invi.-ible 
brook,    and    terminating   in    the  blue    liord    c;f  Otter 


Amvi^r  tj,^  Aroinitaius. 


8S 
C.vc.k.l,,,n,n,lis,l,o,.i,lgoofI)n.M,,,,n,..,i,,,u,,l,ho 

Ml,  i.,u.      l.uri^„ng(.oaiiM..t  (iilvnmvcv 
•     ;''ie.„.are   nnpn.,io,.   of  tl.  I,,.,,,,  ,„•  „„,  ,2 

i  '  i\       I  ill    )  I       \      , 

« 

lMv.,sal,,.aunfulJnlym,,n,i,,ifulK.,,w.,„a,,,,,,, 
""■"'y  V:"-<y.     Oocasionallv  w.  saw  ,l,e  ila.ial   ,„  ,,"s 

''Hl,o  p,.os,,..e,.  .I,K.,,  ,,nf.,l,M  s,,,„e  IVesl,   ..,,anu  • 

•       -    <  n  K.  n.o,.o  ,l,s,ant   ,,I,j..o,,  .,,eh  as  Ka,al,,lin 
;•;'''''''''' S">"-  -l,i.h  „,.«  .seen  onlv  i„  re. 

sc-   v<.f.,.,     >,  ^^ '^  ^■>U".v.(l  ,1  |,ea,ui/„l  s„„. 

..3   t.sn,gIacamoo„Uu,  i;,.,.,, „,,i, •,,,■,,,,,.  ,1,0 

i'.^iu.^  tliat  twiiiklo  en   the  ari.t      n.  i      ..      ,•   , 

^"-■- '^'-'^.>pe.,x.,,  at  i,,::::;:  ^^'''--'^ '■^'-- 

Ji'o  wo,.M  Muu-  bei,,.  ,v,.ap,...M,,   ,,a,i<,,oss.  we 
::t;  '-'^  ''"■  -^  -'.-.inn,e„t  ^.^  '    .      '"^  ^ul 

--.  -.  ^.- .  .iir;  :;:!,:;.;;: 


/bnong  the  Mountaijis. 


spnirc  jilaiiU'd  \\\  tli(3  I'ock  to  C'ii;il)l«3  it  to  withstand 
tlu;  licavy  l^mIcs.  'Hie  little  ])arl()r  in  the  centre  is 
tlanke<l  hy  the  dining-room,  and  a  Cijujile  of  dorniito- 
ries,  wliih;  ovei'head,  in  a  loft,  a  donble  tier  of  berths  is 
arranged,  steanihoat  fashidn.  for  the  further  aceomnKj- 
dation  of  tlie  disciples  of  .AI()r}»lieiis.  During  liiose 
c  )]d.  stoi'niv  niixhts  which  occur  on  the  mountain  excn 
in  the  middle  of  Julv,  the  well-lilled  stove  is  no  nn- 
w(dcome  companion,  hut.  tends  to  pi'omote  Jollity  in  the 
ci)"cl(,'  of  wayfarers  usually  irathered  around  it.  Here, 
when  sup[)er  is  over,  the  adventures  of  the  day  are 
recited.  tli(;  soii'^  is  suuiX,  and  the  storv  tohh  while  the 
walls  at  times  will  crack  with  peals  of  laughter. 

\\j  an  early  hour  the  weary  pedestriaji  usually 
retires,  with  a  lirm  resolution  to  he  up  l)etim(\s  and 
receive  the  first  i^reetijiixs  (if  Old  S(d  as  he  rises  fiom 
liis  ocean  l)ed.  ()ur  conivanv  followed  the  custom  of 
the  place,  thoniih  not  before  some  ^(>un^'  ^.ons  of  Yale 
had  executed  a  ufrand  hear  dance  on  the  rouiih  board 
lloor  in  the  loi't  which  had  been  assigned  to  their  use. 
.Aline  host  looked  .^lightly  nghast  v.heu  he  heard  the 
timbers  ijroanii!'^  about  his  ears,  but  ou  beiu!!  assured 
that  the  nai'tv  was  no  less  safe  than  noisv  and  "all 
riirht,"  he  took  a  candle  and  sought  his  downv  couch, 
tiimply  enjoining  us  to  put  out  the  lights  when  we  got 
readv. 

The  tired  Collci^ians,  however,  had  hardlv  ended 
(heir  performance  on  the  light  fantastic  t(je,  when  a 
fearful    tiuinder-storm   arose,   which    set    the    sky   all 


Among  the  .trouiitiuiis. 


8; 


•""«  ""  gl,„.u.u.  ..„>,n..e  grecod  ,„„.  evo,  l,„t  U,: 

;:;r:;r  f' '''■^'■'''•'- "■•"'-■- ''^''--'g -.e.i 

■o    an.  .low,.  ,,,,0,.  cvo,,v,,an.,r,|,,,  co,,,u,-v 

::        if        "■=':;r'''''''''-^«■'•°™-"'■''*-'-nl.a;- 
;.  ■  '  .  f  Mo„„t  Dos,.,,  ,..,,o,.io„oe.s  l,„t  o„<.e  i„  a  lif... 
','"'^-   l"'..,^   „.„,„,al    bo.l.   in   i,,    ,.|,a,,„,o,is,ics    .u„l 

^ylK.„  I„...aUrast  was  over  (he  sto,.,,,  aba.o.l.  an,l  wo 

«-,    l,,r,h  ,0  view  as  „>,,ch  of  ,1,0  p,.os,,.,,.  a.  oouk 
;  ,  II      ,  ,    ,      '»""'<=  mist.      11,0  ram    lia,     l ,  |o„ 

■  '     -*.  -Hi  ,1,0  oa.-ea,los  wore  ,oari„g  ovor  ,l,o  rook, 
-:    ^'"-.ng  .low„  the  .stoop  lo,l,osr  while   ,1, 

-Hi  ,avo  a  gl„np.se  of  Ihe  l,air.,l,.o,v„o,I  wooils  I  olow 
Sooy,,o,,,os.,n,opa,.,,„,,,,,,,,      ,^^^ 

'C    '..?.   -"I  =»11  but   two  ,lopa,-M  for  J!ar    Ha.ho, 

exh.  nsto.l,  ami   ,„  ,l,e  „,idst  of  a  ,lrivi„..  .ale  -umI 

•-•'■'_.%.  A.,a..i,,ta  a,.a  I  lott   .1,0  ho,-     a, 
:"--'  "-  ''^■l.-S-l  ,.„a,l.  a,„l  p„sl,o,l  o„  ,,•„„„        '[ 

."S.un.,attl,eo,,,l,.fa,.ho,,ra,,,lahalfw.o,.,,        , 
tbc  hotel  at  Jiar  irarhor.     Thus,  for  the  „W,, 
our  ,l,-oa,„s  of  G,-ee„  .AIo,„„ai.,. 


8S 


Aino;ig  the  Mountains. 


most  symmctrifal  of  ll:o  iiiount;;iiis,  uliilo  il  lias  just 
vcnliinj  (.'ijou-li  to  set  oil'  its  .siileiidid  dills  to  great 
advantage. 

Just  below  the  jimctioii  of  the  Otter  Creek  and 
Scliooner-IIead  Roads,  a  cart-traek  leads  away  to  the 
ri^iiht  towards  the  foot  of  Xewi)ort,  terininatiiig  in  a 
l)ath,  which  turns  to  the  left  and  runs  up  to  the  lowest 
ridge,  lieaehing  this  ])ath,  the  eliml.er  makes  his 
way  u|)ward.  Soon  tlie  sjiur  on  the  light,  kutnvn  as 
Ivnund  Peak,  assumes  a  delinite  foiiii,  and  the  ocean 
appears  on  the  left.  Little  cairns  piled  up  at  intervals 
now  indicate  the  way. 

An   hour's   climbing  brougiit   my    two  companions 

and    n]y>elf   to   the    highest    peak,   surmounted   by   a 

[)yramid  of  stones,      lleie   we  took  a   brief  rest  and 

disposed  of  our  lunch,  which  was    wa.^hed  down    with 

liberal  draughts  of  rain  water  found  in  the  depressions 

of  the  rock,  and,  whicli  lu'ing  bitter,  we  called  lichen 

broth.       To    sweeten    sucli    a    vegetable    compound 

would   reipiire    the  skill  of  a  .Pluses.      Ibit  even   this 

beverage  is   found  only  after  a  rain,   while  of  living 

.s])rings  there   arc   none.     :My  i-entimental  fi-ieiid  will 

say  that  these  are  carnalities,  yet  nothing  adds  less  to 

the  enji)ynient  of  Xew[)ort  than  a  hunorv  stomach,  or 

a  buinini"-  thirst. 

One  charm  oi  Newport  Mcunlain  is  found  in  its 
rearness  to  the  ocean.  Only  a  narrow  strij)  of  land 
intervenes  beL\\  ecu  its  base  and  the  sea.  From  its  sum- 
mit we  could  look  down   upon  the  deck  of  a  passiu" 


■'"'""j:  the  Monntains. 


So 


toamo.,  ,,  a.owi.^.n,  sMilin.  ,;,,  s,.,,l,.„,,t  n,.,I,or. 
llK<  j,-,j:.e,    aron.s    „f   1.:,.   ]{„,„   „.orc   ,.„,■„.   ,„. 

'.'■'■.•■''"■■'\''f"    ■^"    '"->•    "'a.l   Lulls.   ul,il,.'    S,.|„ io 

;>H.t  :,,,,!  ,1,0  coast  of  .Maine  Usl.iningi,,   ,1„.  .,„,. 
l^l>e>vl„.re  all  was  fil|,.,l  ,,.  „,.,  ,,,,„,,^^  ^^,^^^^,^ 

Ulan,     lay   Greou    Mountai,,,   oovcaing    ,1,„    n.ore 

ScLola,,   ..oceutly   let    ]o„s.    f.,,,,   Yal.,  L   f,.,,,!  of 

-k.^  ..IUK.„s. ,t-ua,  classics  ;  and  ou  the. vav,,,  1.0 
Im.  la  ,,.,.c,|  to  slanv  „s  ,l,e  .c.cn.Uance  of  li,  nlc's 
J''hM,,u,    77„,//„,,„,  ,„   „„^   ^.„i,.^.  ,„.   „^^    , _ 

-n-ln,ga.a      ]!.,tnou■,asuclayn,,,lc,■,l,,....,l:a.|ou■ 
"'    '"^  "",'•"'  "'"  ^''•"''  "-^  'I'-vn  fo,,l,   f,..„.  ,  ,i,,,. 

l"-l.ct,  where  it  ha,l  halanccl    the  o, she  l„n..l:eon. 

■"'^.  (o  |,eri;,r,n  a  new  service.     The  .SclaWar  ih. ht 

"'I'l  iK^vn,  we  agree,!  will,  hin,.  that  one  line  convevc,! 
^"'""'■^'I'lv  the  ..•l,a,-ac,e,is,ics of  .Meant  IJese,-,.    ll„n,e.- 

T         "'   ':"'  "  "'■'■■■  '"''">"   ^'''"'""y  " "(ai„s  a„,l 

"'."  7<";"<""Ssea";  ••  .\,„1  „ow,"  sai,l  Tl„.  S.^holat- 
"just  look  at  G,ee„  .M,„„„ain:-  We  enthnsiasticallv 
ait  .-le.l  ,  e  idea.  The  o],I  Ha,-,!  ,,l,o,o,.,„,hs  botL 
tli'^  i-lcs  ot  0,-cece  an,i  .Mount  Jfe:ert  J,ei..l,(s  ■ 

l!<it  a  h,„gt,-an,,,  was  l.efWe  us.an,l'we  ,li,I  not 
-'^•lay  10  v,ew  the  two  lessc,'  peaks  of  .Xew,.e,.t  which 
break  the  long  ,-a„ge  in  its  aesccnt  to  tl,e  .ea  at  Otter 

iSiTpo  ,,axr,„6i,noi-  i-u  ohi^oi  alrwi  daw 


.%* 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


1.0     !S 


I.! 


1.25 


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^  m 

S     iZ     111112:0 


iiiii 


1.8 


i.4    IIIIII.6 


V2 


^ 


7a 


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m 


7 


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Photographic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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90 


AjHoniT  the  Mountains. 


Creek  ;  nor  to  view  ''  Loch  Anna,"  a  little  body  of 
water  named  l)y  Clr.ircli,  who  saw  it  set  like  a  dia- 
mond in  tlie  lower  spur.  Witli  regret  we  bade  adieu 
to  this  romantic  lieiglit,  where  tlie  earth  and  sky  seem 
so  much  in  love  witli  one  another,  and  bejxan  the  toil- 
soni(.'  descent  westward  down  over  the  steep  cliffs  and 
tbrongli  the  pathless  woods.  Finally  we  touched  the 
b)wer  spur  of  Kound  Peak,  and  then  pushed  vigor- 
ously on,  until  we  struck  the  Otter  Creek  read,  and 
found  ourselves  in  Kcbo  Notch,  which  is  walled  in  by 
the  steep  sides  of  Di-y  Mountain.  Here,  overshad- 
owe<l  bv  the  towerino-  cliil's,  one  almost  fancies  himself 
in  the  White  Mounlain  Notch.  In  a  calm  day  the 
( clio  is  s[)lendid.  Some  verses  composed  for  Lippin^ 
cotCs  MtKjozinc  so  well  describe  the  place  that  they 
may  be  given  here  : 

"  (jrirn  niountaiii  Spiitel  that,  robed  in  T»oo(l8, 
Dost  sit  among  those  liills,  their  rightful  King, 
Forgive  tlic  wight  who  rashly  dares 
Jo  vex  thy  silence  with  his  questioning. 


oidc.  HOT*  n>  ^6iri  i()ii3ulaia,  [SuTiavEiprf, 
Kap~dv  idrjXf/aavT''  tiTtiudXa  rroAk  fUTa^i) 
oipt'd  re  OKiuevra,  •QuAAancd  t£  r/Xf'jiaan. 

Iliad,  B.  I.,  1.  152. 

Well  dost  Ihon  know  that  'twas  no  feud  of  mine, 

Witli  Tioy's  biuvo  son«  that  brought  ino  here  in  nrins; 

i  hey  never  did  nic  wrong;  they  never  drovo 

3I\  cattle  or  my  hoises;  never  sought 

]n  riithia's  I'eitiie,  life-sustaining  fields. 

'J"o  waste  the  crops;  for  wide  between  us  lay 

The  shadowy  uiountaius  and  tlic  roaring  sea. 

DKRnr'8  TnAXSLATION. 


A  mong  the  Mountains.  9 1 

Adown  tli_v  Ptoep  and  ru^^'i.-^od  flanks 
The  black  fir  ;,'!ooms  and  the  pair  aspens  quuor. 
And  o'er  thy  glit^fcniiip.  wind-Mvept  cliflfj, 
The  niot^gy,  perlinned  stream let.s  leap  iorever. 

We  call  to  Iheo;  our  Aeble  cry 

Dies  'pninst  the  loeky  Aices  of  thy  throne; 

And  from  the  shaj^szy  bosom  comes 

Thine  answer,  deep-voiced  as  an  organ  tone. 

In  tlnit  broad  brea;-t  i;o  human  heart 
To  liuman  [inlses  answereth  again  : 
'I  he  wandering  wretch,  in  \\i  .  d-patlis  lo^t, 
To  thv  stern  lace  I'or  pi*y  looks  in  vi^in. 

Within  that  Sj)l,in.\-Iike  lace  we  lain 

Would  read  the  riddle  of  life's  fleeting  story— 

Thy  calm  eternal  would  we  grasp, 

And  gild  our  gloom  with  thy  lar->liining  glory. 

*         Hutthou!    Thou  gaz"st  on  thof-ea. 

AVith  flr-crowned,  stony  brow  that  changes  never: 

We  leave  thee,  in  dumb  mystery, 

Dread  Sprite!  to  heave  that  hoary  bulk  forever." 

Om-  dostiiiiitioii   was  tlic  top  cf  Green   .AruiinKiii,, 
and    anotlier    scranihlo    was    inevitable.       I'heiefore, 
uithoiit    miieh   delay,   we  stnick  tlironol^   tlie    prettv 
sa-i.)  of  wood  skii'tin-  tl.e  foot  of  tlie  eminence,  found 
a  narrow  wooded  ravine,  and,  kee])in<r  where  we  could 
lake  advan(a<;e    of    tlie    trees,  woikod    ,,ur    way   up. 
From  tlu'  fnot  of  the   mounlain   \\e   saw   linle "moro 
llian  what  appeared   an   almost  peij.endicidar   <j^ranite 
wall,   hut   we   weie    -:aiiriod    (o   iind   this  convenient 
^^move.  though  it  was  filled  up  wiih   inunen.^e  ma.s.ses 
«'f  fallen   rocks,  over  which  we  were  forced   to  clinih. 
After  an  hour's  hihor  we  were  linally  able  to  overlook 
the  peak  of  Newport  and  view  the  hea.     Jn  a  (pmrter 


92 


Antojior  the  Mountains. 


of  an  hour  more  wc  wci'c  on  the  top  of  tliis  spur, 
railed  Di-y  ]\r(juntain.  ijickinii"  l)lueherries  and  seeking 
for  the  best  w;iy  across  the  ravine  which  separated  lis 
from  Cireen.  AVe  fnially  deci<led  to  'tak'?  the  most 
shallou'  ])art  of  the  ravine  and  push  straight  across. 
At  this  place  the  mountain  appears  to  have; -heen  split 
in  two,  lea\ing  the  steep  walls  f)cing  each  other  on 
either  hand.  To  i:(.'t  down  the  east  side  is  ncarlv  as 
diilicult  its  to  get  up  the  west,  while  at  every  step  we 
were  in  daniii'er  of  dislodiiinix  huue  masses  of  rock  that 
needed  scarcely  more  than  a  fiiiiier's  touch  to  send 
them  thundering  helow.  AVliere  the  ojierjition  was 
safe  we  found  it  capital  sport,  hut  i)ru(lence  taught  ns 
on  these  occasions  to  keep  close  together,  lest  some 
ilying  boul(k'r  slhndd  swee[)  one  of  us  into  the  hlack 
ravine.  At  the  hottom  is  a  dense  forest  of  spi-uce  and 
lir  ;  and  among  the  loose  rocks,  covered  in  some  places 
to  tin;  (k'i)th  of  nearly  a  foot  with  soft,  green,  S})ongy 
moss,  was  a  small,  ice-cold  stream,  tinkling  nuisically 
ou  its  way  to  Otter  Creek.      In  this  shady  chasm, 

*'  An  hydcoiis  hole  al  vnste,  witliouton  shape, 
Ul'  undloss  Ui'i>li,  orewlielnulo  \\i\\\  iJi;^gc(i  stouc," 

tlie  atmospliere  was  as  frigid  as  the  water,  and,  with 
chattering  teeth,  wc  again  sought  the  soft  snnnner  air. 
lUit  now  we  found  the  liai'dest  climb  of  all.  The 
{Scholar,  (piite  forgetting  Homer  and  the  *'  shadowy 
mountains,"  llun<x  his  stalwart  frame  against  the  iron 
clilfs  and  gave  ns   a  splendid  illustration  of  muscular 


i- 


^mmmmmmmmrmmimiKr 


Aiiiou!^^  tlic  Mountains. 


93 
m.",  „    ^  .1,,  ,,„i  ,„„„,,,   ^,^   ^,^,^1^ 

o.u       ,0   duni,    ,hc    trees   ,.„„1    sui,,^.   ,.,n-.elve.    ,„; 

lint    ,I,e  .,,„set   viev.   f,-,,,,,   ,|,e    Mnnnm   wns    .,ill 
be.o..e  us  a„.l  we  ,so„„  l.as.ene,!  ,„,  .,„„,  n,e  le,,    ' 

Creel    V        '^^^^ 

b    mu    n,e  w,,„d.,Ue  win,   ..  nn„r„l  o,' .sneks.     We 

b.         ,m.l,a,.an.U,espol.ea<l,.e,  w,,iel,  wass,,,., 

^'-'^in.gm  the  stove,  a.l,li„g  „,„dM„  ,.,„•  o„„,;„, 
■Supper  hkewise  ten,le.l  to  put  us  iu  a  n.o,,.,  ,.  ; 

bcoveu,„sp,rotee cs  ot  OI,l  Sol.  a,,,,  u  l,ile  1,       ^^ 

l"'ei>anu.  to  .Iran-   ,l,e   1,,.,.,,^  ,„,„,„,  ,,  „,^  ^  ,     t^ 

:;:;•;:''■'.';' ■''■•' ''•-.- -'^i.i-vetoo.ors,  ■: 

•'".  .oa,l.      J  iMs  journey  is  o„e  that  ahvavs   r,.p.,vs 
be  ..vesttueut   of  n.u.ele,   tl.ougl.   it  is   ..Jver   /,;,;. 
U';.V;''-ba,.at,„eeveuiu.,,o„r.      Hon  ,„.aun,:„ 

,  .  '".  ^"T'''  ""'■"'''  ''''■''■  J'-s'-^  j-1-^  "biu;. 

"'-n,   a.   „,e   ,.,.|eu    li,,,t,    „,e    ,,,;,,..,„,  ,i^,,     , 
Sollies'  .Sound  aiHl   Jiiue   Hill    ,i,       ]■       '    , 
sptcti.U  ptrtes,  Sa,o,.nt-s  j^ray  and  ,iu.|<v  side.    , 


iimi- 


94 


Avion c  tJic  Mountains. 


I 


' 


borlcss  green  valleys  and  lesser  liill-tops,  find  tlie 
islanded  and  pnrpling  ^vatel•s  of  Fiencliman's  I'ay — 
all  these  combine  to  form  a  most  enchanting  picture 
Avhich  assnmes  new  combinations  and  jn-odnces  ex- 
<]uisite  efiects  at  every  turn  in  the  winding  road. 
Along  the  lower  slopes,  however,  the  daylight  disap- 
peared, and  through  the  0[)ening  in  the  woods  we  saw 
♦'^'^  stars  being  slowly  lighted  np  ;  while  the  niglit- 
nawks  circled  aronnd  onr  heads,  uttering  what  at  this 
h(Mir  always  seems  snch  a  monrnful  crv.  I>rinii;in2: 
otTas  I  did  a  heavy  snrain  as  a  souvenir  of  the  ti'amp, 
I  gave  way  slightly  to  the  inihiences  of  the  hour  and 
walked  on   in  silence  at  a  little  distance  l)ehind  niv 

ft- 

friends,  whom  I  heard  discussing  all  sorts  of  ^-ubjects, 
beginning  with  "  Culprit  Fay,"  and  ending  with  the 
resj)ective  merits  of  Theology  and  J^aw.  The  disciple 
of  lilackstone  stoutly  averred  thnt  the  Law  made 
men  i-emarkaldy  exact,  ^vhile  'I'heology  tended  to 
looseness,  there  being  no  o})po.sition  counsel  in  court 
to  pick  him  in  pieces.  Of  course  his  view  was  duly 
refuted  ;  though  for  my  own  })art  1  thought  that  both 
^yere  about  half  riiiht.  I  mention  this  simidy  to  show 
the  turn  which  thouii'lit  often  takes  here,  the  mornini; 
fancy  often  ending  in  ipiestions  of  fact.  Two  hours 
after  sunset  we  reached  home. 


jSText  to  Green  JMountain,  on  the  west,  is  Pemetic, 
so  called  f(U-  the  jairpo.se  of  i)erpetuating  the  Indian 
name  of  JMount  Desert.     It  extends  south-eastwardly 


tmww^fmm'^^mi^^mfm 


A/;w//(r  tJic  Mountains, 


95 


from  the  oiul  of  Eaiilo  L;ikc,  Jiiid  iirjultiallv  bli.ks 
down  towards  tlic  sea,  preseiitiiiin"  ii  sliai-p  gianiie 
ridge,  which,  wlicii  viewed  IVtiiii  the  iiortli,  laiily 
clcjives  the  sk}'.  Jt  may  1)0  readied  t'loin  Wwv  llai- 
bor  bv  the  wav  of  llie  Otter  Crrck  road,  v«  :  "lie 
iouriiev  is  too  lonii'.  The  sliort  route  is  t(j  a.^eend 
Eagle  J>ake  and  climb  its  steep  side.  Landing  on 
one  of  the  two  white  sand  beaches  at  the  head  of  the 
lake,  we  struck  into  the  woods,  keeping  ju.^t  within 
the  border  of  the  old  forest,  as  the  recent  growth  is 
well  nigh  im})as>able,  on  account  of  tlu;  (hui^-e  thickets. 

Glancing  at  the  mountain,  we  concluded  that  half 
an  hour  would  be  sullicient  to  take  us  to  the  t(»[). 
Yet  we  were  greatly  disaj^pointed,  criing  both  in 
reiiard  to  the  heii-ht  to  be  climl)ed  and  the  diiliculties 
to  be  encountered.  The  fallen  tind)er  di>(»utcd  our 
progress  at  nearly  every  step,  while  for  about  thiee 
quarters  of  an  hour  the  sumndt  continued  to  recede. 
Still  we  scrand)led  on,  and,  atujr  getting  clear  of  the 
woods,  made  our  wav  from  led^^e  to  ledi2(?,  until  we 
stood  upon  the  topmost  of  the  series,  ^vhich  terminate 
on  the  east  side  in  })erpendicidar  walls. 

Nearly  an  hour  and  a  half  was  consun^'d  in  i-(^aeh- 
infj  the  summit  of  I'emetic,  which  is  l)oth  j-iand  and 
bare.  It  is  suilicicntly  high  to  all()r<l  a  glimpse  of  the 
Green  Mountain  House  on  the  east,  and  a  full  view 
of  the  recesses  of  Sarjjent  and  the  liubble  ^iountams. 
Northward  is  the  lake,  and  ni(.'ie  distant  the  rt  gion 
around  Trenton  I5rid<»e,  while  :-outhuai<l    is  a  >U!  erb 


11. W  IMipPlWl,  '  mi"^. 


96 


Among  tJie  Mountains. 


view  of  the  islands  and  tlic  ^ea.  The  i>lan(ls  prob- 
ably appear  to  better  nd vantage  f'n)m  this  point  than 
any  other.  On  Green  ^Mountain  the  tonrist  is  too  far 
above  them  and  the  details  are  lost ;  bnt  here  the 
floating  masses  of  pale  green  assnme  a  defniite  ehar- 
acter,  and  profitably  employ  the  eye. 

Still  what  most  impressed  us  was  the  wildness  of 
the  seene.  The  upper  i)ortion  of  Pemetie  is  a  mass 
of  rose-colored  granite  descending  eastward  in  a 
series  of  long  gigantic  steps  ;  ^vhile  the  lialf-covered 
sides  of  Green  Mountain  combiiie  with  the  j^ositive 
desolation  of  Sargent  to  ccmplete  the  rugged  charac- 
ter of  the  view  and  till  it  with  romantic  interest. 
Jordan's  l*ond  also  adds  an  imiioi'tant  feature,  lyin<T 
cradled  under  the  cliils  of  Sargent,  dark  and  threat- 
ening, and  appearing  altogcither  as  if  it  would  like  to 
drown  one.  This  is  a  splendid  place  in  which  to  pass 
tlie  day,  or  to  camp  at  night,  while  to  the  artist  or 
photographer  it  is  wortli  a  fortune. 

The  d-er  are  still  fonnd  in  the  mountains.  Last 
summer  a  Harvard  student  found  a  i)air  of  antlers 
on  Pemetie.  As  is  well  known,  thev  shed  them 
every  year,  at  least  until  they  reach  old  age ;  which  is 
the  case  with  the  moose,  who  throws  off  antlers  weiirh- 
ing  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  pounds  as  easily  as  a  Jew 
puts  off  ''  old  do'. "  The  deer  swim  off  to  the  isjand 
from  the  main-land  every  fall  to  escape  the  dogs  that 
are  set  to  driving-  them  out  of  the  woods.  Forty 
years  ago,  I  am  told,  the  deer  were  strangers  to  tlve 


Aviojig  the  Mountains.  c^y 

place;  and  if  the  Imntiiiir  wore  stopped  iti   rlie  iic;<r],  . 
boring  regions   tliey  w..iild  soon   disappear    fVoni    the 
\>hi\\d.       r>iit,   as    it   is   tV(sli    stock   comes    on    every 
antunm.      The    Dhhown    Indians    resort   here    every 
season  to  hnnt  tliem,  in  connection  wiili  tlic  otter,  fox, 
wihl-cat,   mnskrat,    and   mink.      'J'he   law   allows    thJ 
deer  to  he  hunted  f)r   three   months,  ending   with   the 
fif:eenth  of  Decemher.      I-i   coming  here  Uie  Indians 
simply  followed  the  custom  of  their  ancestors.     Tin; 
old   chronicders  occasionally    mention    thcdr   visits,    as 
is  the  case   with   Iluhhard,  ^  ho   connects   it  with   the 
captivi.y   of  young    Cohett,    son    of   tiie   miidster   at 
Ipswich,   IMassachusetts,  who   was    taken   ])risoner  by 
the  Indians,  near  l\)rtland,  in    1(;77.     IIo  was   after- 
wards taken  l)y  his    "  pateroon,"  or  master,  to  Mount 
Desert,  where  he  was  accustomed  tosj)end  his  winters, 
and  arrange  Ids  hunting  expeditions.     IIubl)ard  says  : 
"In    (hat  dcsertdike   condition   was    the   poor   young 
man  forced  to  continue  nine  weeks  in  the  service  of  a 
savnge  miscreant,  who  sometimes  would  tyrannize  over 
him,  because  lie  could  not   underMand  liis  languaire, 
and  for  want  thereof  might  occasioii   him    to   miss   his 
game,  or  the  like."     At  the  end  of  nine  weeks  "  on  a 
sudden  he  Un.k  a  resolution  to   send  this   young  man 
down  to  Peno])seot  to  :\Ir.   [IJaron]   Casteen   to  j.ro- 
cure  more   i)owder  to  kill  moose  and   deer,   which  it 
seems  is  all  their  way  of  livitig  at   IMount   Desert." 
This  journey   led    to   his   ransom,   which   was  fuially 
effected  by  being  exchanged   for  a  good  coat.     Hub- 


98 


Amo;/e'  tJie  Mountains. 


bard  tells  us  liow  that  on  one  occasion  while  a  pris- 
oner on  the  island  lie  went  out  to  hunt,  and  was  so 
overcome  by  the  cold  that  he  became  senseless,  and 
that  the  Indians  were  obliged  to  take  him  on  their 
shoulders  and  carrv  him  to  the  nearest  wiiijwam. 
Formerly,  also,  the  beaver  was  plenty  here,  as  is  still 
attested  by  the  remains  of  their  dams. 

V 

Between  Pemetic  and  Sarnrent  lie  the  Bubble  Moun- 
tains,  or  Twins.  The  larger  of  the  two  heights  stands 
at  the  head,  or  north  end  of  Jordan's  Pond,  and  the 
other  advances  along  the  eastern  side.  They  form 
the  two  principal  peaks  of  a  ridge  lying  on  the  west 
side  of  Kagle  Lake.  Between  this  ridge  and  Sar- 
gent's IMountain  is  a  narrow  valley  rising  at  its  north- 
ern extremity  even  with  the  lesser  elevation,  and 
furnishing  an  additional  water-shed  to  Jordan's  Pond. 
The  whole  region  between  Eagle  Lake  and  Sargent's 
Mountain  is  covered  with  a  dense  forest  of  somewhat 
recent  growth  that  effectually  bars  every  approach  to 

The  Twins. 

One  day  we  made  a  party  to  climb  them,  and 
started  from  Bar  Harbor  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. Walking  to  Eagle  Lake,  we  found  the  boats  all 
out,  and  therefore  tried  to  find  our  way  through  the 
woods,  beating  about  among  the  bushes  until  high 
noon.  At  this  time  we  gave  up  the  attempt  and 
divided,  one  party  striking  out  westward  to  scale  Sar- 
gent's Mountain  and  return  home  by  Jordan's  Pond 


L 


-■-^^■^^.^.a^..jAzt.,... 


Aino?fg  the  Mouutaius.  99 

and  tlie  Otter  Cm-k  road,  wliile  tlio  ofhfr  roturnod  to 
tlie  McFarland  House  to  form  some  new  plan,    'riicie 
I   <lrove  a  liard  l)ariraln    for  a  boat   which   was  just 
returninir  down   the  lake,  stipulatini^  that  when  done 
with  it  shonld  be  left  on  the  beaeh  at  the  oth<'r  end, 
from  whence  the  owner  shonld  bring  it  home  again  at 
his  convenience.     At  half  past  two  o'clock   we  got 
into  the  boat  and  rowed  np  the   lake  against  a  heavy 
breeze  and  a  short,  chop  sea,   which   severely  taxed 
our  strength.     Landing  at   last   on  the  farthest  sand 
beach,  we  crossed  the  creek   to  the   west,   and  sti-nck 
np  the  steep  side  of  the  Bubble  lidnc  keeimx'-  well  to 
the  right,  and  touched  the  top  after   a  lively  scramble 
of  twenty  minutes.     Starting  from  thence  in  a  south- 
erly direction  through  trees  and  underwood,  ten   min- 
utes more  brought  us  to  the  highest  point,  when  the 
object  of  the  expedition   was   declared  accomplished. 
And  the  result  amply  repaid  us  for  all  the   toil    of  the 
day,  affording  as  it  did  some  of  the  grandest  views, 
besides  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  geograj)hy  of 
this  part  of  the  island.     Westward,  and  far  above  us, 
lay  Sargent's  iMountain,  holding  up  to  our  gaze  its 
torn  and  rifted  sides;   to  the  north  stretched  what  we 
may  call  the  Valley  of  The  Twins  ;  on   the  east  the 
forest  cut  oiftlie  prospect  of  Eagle  Lake,  while  south- 
ward lay  Jordan's  Pond  and  the  islands  out  at  sea. 

As  we  sat  gazing  upon  the  summit  of  Sargent,  our 
friends  whom  we  had  left  in  the  woods  appeared  in 
the  form  of  two  dark  specks,  moving  along  the  ridge 


TOO 


A7iio?i(^  the  Mountaius. 


ai^aiiist  tlio  cvoniiiij  sky-  One  was  a  Ilarvartl  Colleiio 
nndci'uiTadnatc,  \v1k),  tli(^  yoar  Ix'i'oro.  rowccl  liis  wlieri'v 
from  liosioii  to  Mount  I)<'s(Mt.  Tlicv  lia«l  fonnlit 
tlicir  way  lliroui^h  tlio  thickets  to  tlio  top  of  Sarg<Mit, 
and  woi'o  iiow^  taking  a  lifioon  mile  walk  lioinc. 
(Quickly  aiTanglng  a  signtd  with  our  ])OclvCt  har.dker- 
cliiefs,  wo  lioistcd  it  on  a  polo,  and  gave  a  united 
sliout.  The  siirnal  was  reco«xniz(Ml.  and  the  sound  of 
our  voices,  aided  by  the  wind,  also  succeeded  in  get- 
ting across  the  gn-at  gulf  that  separated  us,  and  tlien 
crept  up  to  Sargent's  ridge.  A  faint  halloo  came 
back  in  leply,  and  then,  after  viewing  one  another  for 
some  time,  we  started  homeward  ])y  opposite  routes, 
our  own  coverinji  as  ijood  as  a  doz(Mi  miles.  Of  the 
distance  separating  the  two  peaks  we  could  form  no 
estimate.  The  voice  of  the  sentinel  has  been  heard 
soundinix  the  ''All's  well"  from  Old  to  New  Gibraltar. 
a  distance  of  nine  miles ;  yet  our  own  voices  probably 
did  not  leach  half  as  far. 

On  our  i-eturn  we  paused  a  few  minutes  at  the  brink 
of  the  clills  overlooking  Kagle  Lake  to  enjoy  the 
beauty  of  the  prospect  here  spread  out  befor  ^  us,  it 
being  an  exquisite  mingling  of  lake,  mountain,  and 
forest,  and  then  cautiously  descended  to  the  strand. 
We  embarked,  rowed  to  the  Eastern  shore,  beached 
the  boat,  and  then  struck  through  the  low  ground 
which  here  skirts  the  foot  of  Green  Mountain  ;  after- 
w^ards  going  up  its  steep  sides  and  reaching  the  top 
in  an  hour  and  a  quarter.     Arriving  at  the  Mouu- 


Amoiis  t!'c  Mountains. 
tain    House    wo   fdniid   a 


101 

,  „       .  company    ,l„ly    assc  i,il,l,.,| 

a.omKlUK.An,,u,,ll,.,..  i,,l,.n,li,,,.  ,os,,.,v,,v,.,.  ,,H., 
I.nt  as  ,t  was  al.va.ly  >uns,.t  we  l.a.lc  nm',,.  11.,.,  ..^od 

at   I.ar   IIaH,o,.  ,„   an    l,o,„-  ami   hvenlv   n.innies.     I 

.nomK.u.oti„K.n,adut^ 

m  whose  hands  tins  book  mav  lall. 

It  now  o.dy  remains  to  speak  of  Kel,o~]i„|,,.  K,.|,o 
--tung  at  tl,e  foot  of  Green  Mo„n,„in.  like  son,o 
-Mar  at  the  feet  of  his  mas,,.-,  an,l  n,o.l,.s,lv  reioio- 

'■II'"'  !-'■  ""«1  lioar  in  .Monnt  Desert  n,av  p.,.rl,aps  have 

-versee.n.hishilkwl.iel.  issetawav'al,no..,,o,„of 

Mgh.        Yet   ,I,e   walk   ,o    Kehois   .u,e   of  ,l,e   n.ost 

■  joyahle  on  ,he  islan,!.     Indeed,  after  l,ein.  su.-feited 

""iMhe  g,.andenr  of  n,..e,l   .-oeks   an,l   trenu-ndons 

P.-oc.|„ees  the  .ran,,nil  l,ean,y  that  snrronnds  Kel,o  is 

liailed  as  a  weleonic  relief. 

Taking   ,he   Gr,.en   J\Ionn,ain    .-o.ad  as   fur   as    ,hc 
cross-road  at  the  sehool-h.n.se,  an.l  ,nr,nn^.  „,  ,he  h.ft 
lu.lt  an  honr-s  walk  f,-on,  IJar  Harbor  brh^os  us  ,o   ,l,e' 
place   where   we  gain  il,e  host  xiow  <,f  K.l.o.      The 
xiew  here  is  one  of  g,-eat  loveliness,  an.lsonie   even 
after  seeing  ove>-y  other  part  of  ,l,o  island,  i,avo  not 
iiesitafed   to   ],rononnoo   it   the   host    of  all.      'J'lds 
however,  is  beoanso  nolliing  i„  partienlar  is  geiuTally- 
expected,  and  the  pieturc  forn,,  a  ph-asant  sn,-p,.ise. 
ikereut  the  border  of  the  Holds  rises  this   litile  bill 


102  Among  tJie  Mountains, 

witli  its  perpendicular  eastern  face,  whiie  beyond  are 
Newport,  liouiid  Peak,  Dry,  and  Green  Mountains. 
All  now   appear  verdure-clad  to  their  very  summits. 
Between    Dry  and  Xew})ort  is  Echo  Notch,  through 
which  we  can  look,  and  at  the  same  time  have  a  view 
of  the  ravine  which  sweeps  down  from  between  Dry 
and  Green  Mountains.     From  this  point  we  continue 
on  past  a  couple  of  farm-honses  until  we  reach  a  pic- 
ures({ue  old  mill,  when,  if  we  desire  to  climb  Kebo, 
we  must  cnjss  the  stream,  turn  up  the  wood-road  to 
the  right,  and  follow  on  until  the  west  side   is   gained, 
from  whence  the  ascent  is  easily  made.     No  path  will 
be  found  until  near  the  top,  nor  is  one  really  needed, 
since  there  are  so  few  obstacles  in  ihe  wav.     Half  or 
three    quarters    of  an    hour    will    bring    the    slowest 
walkers  thither,  where  the  most  lovely  panorama  is 
spread  out.     Kebo  has  an  elevation  of  not  more  than 
three  or  four  hundred  feet,  but  here  we  realize  onco 
more  that  there  is  no  necessary  connection  between 
height  and  beauty.     Here,  too,  in  the  favorable  light, 
the   whole   region  ap[)eared   clothed  in  living  green. 
Even    the  dry  Porcupines  out  in  Frenchman's   Bay, 
which  at  noon-day  usually  wear  a  barren  as[)ect,  now 
glowed  with  a  deep  emerahl  light,  and   the   face  of 
nature  -was   everywhere   wreathed  in   smiles.     From 
this  position  the  structure  of  Kebo  also  becomes  ap- 
l)arent,  and  it  is  found  to  be  a  ridge  with  two  well- 
dcMned  peaks  running  parallel  with  Green  and  fading 
away  on  the  side  of  Dry  Mountain.     Between  Kebo 


Anton (T  the  Mountains. 


103 


and  Greeii  is  a  broad  and  beautiful  valley  ;  while  east 
of  the  former  elevation  runs  a  bow-shaped  ridge,  bend- 
ing westward,  and  reaching  from  the  gateway  of  Echo 
Notch  to  the  cross-road  already  mentioned.  This 
ridge,  marked  on  the  map  as  The  Gate  of  the  Notch, 
is  quite  high  and  flat  at  its  southern  end,  and  when 
seen  from  Frenchman's  Bav  it  seems  to  lie  directly 

V  ft 

across  the  entrance  to  this  s})lendid  vale ;  yet  in  walk- 
ing to  Otter  Creek  the  pedestrian  will  lind  that  the 
Gate  conveniently  stands  ajar. 

In  returning  from  Kebo,  we  tried  to  descend  the 
clifls  on  the  east  side,  but  were  forced  to  give  it  up, 
the  sheer,  rocky  walls  being  too  much  for  us.  We 
accordingly  retraced  our  stejis.  In  the  fields  we  found 
Agricola,  raking  hay,  and  asked  what  amount  of  tilthy 
lucre  would  induce  him  to  give  us  the  exclusive  pos- 
session of  his  little  pastoral  j)aradise  next  season.  This 
enchanted  isle,  with  all  its  sweet  nooks  and  romantic 
corners,  could  furnish  nothing  better  for  a  sunnner 
home.     With  little  Kebo,  we  bid  the  mountains  adieu. 


THE    LAKE    REGION. 
c II A r T  i: li    Yin. 

Seal  Cove  Pond  —  Di:x\iNf;'s  Lake  — Storm  Cliff  — 
Long  Lake  —  .Ioiidax's  Pond  —  Idling  —  A  Shower  — 
Eagle  Lake — The    Snake   Stori — Boatixg   without 

« 

Oars. 

AKKS  liko  those  of  Mount  Desert  cannot 
lliil  to  excite  iidmiration.  licautiful  in 
themselves,  tliey  give  to  the  snrroundini^ 
rciiion  as  nnicli  as  thev  receive.  Tliey 
are  not  all  dignilied  by  the  name  of  lake,  several 
being  known  simply  as  ponds.  Three  of  these  spark- 
lirjiT  sheets  of  water  lie  on  each  side  of  Somes' 
Sound. 

The  most  ■western  is  known  as  Seal  Covc  Pond. 
It  lies  on  the  north-east  of  Western  Mountain  and 
empties  into  Seal  Co\e.  It  is  about  four  miles  in 
length,  and  in  its  broadest  part  about  a  fourth  of  a 
mile  in  width.  A  dam  at  the  lower  end  })revents  the 
salt  water  from  llowini:'  in,  while  the  fresh  water  does 
good  service  at  the  mill  as  it  Hows  out.  The  ride 
fi'oin  South-west  Harbor  to  Seal  Cove  has  many 
attractioMs.  The  distance  is  about  live  miles,  and  in 
reaching  the  lake  it  is  necessaiy  to  go  ct)mi)letely 
around  the  spur  of  Western   Mountam.      The  cove 


i 


The  Lake  Region, 


\0' 


was  famous  in  former  times  as  tiie  resort  of  seal>.  At 
pi'esent  it  is  a  snug  harbor  for  i^niall  craft,  ii umbers  of 
which  are  built  here.  At  the  liead  of  the  cove  a  high 
bridge  is  crossed,  and,  turning  to  the  riglit,  the  lake 
comes  in  full  view.  At  this  place  tliei'e  ai-e  a  few 
houses,  yet  the  general  appearance  of  things  is  rather 
sleep}'.  There  is  good  fishing  to  l)e  liad,  and  trout 
and  i)erch  are  usually  ready  fo/  the  hook,  liut  we 
did  not  delay  to  test  their  appetite,  nor  excn  to  row 
on  the  lak(;,  as  the  clouds  seemed  to  p-r()mi>e  raiM. 
The  water  looked  somciwhat  daik,  and  aiound  the 
shore  the  vegetation  indicated  that  it  w:.  shallow, 
though  in  the  centi'al  portions  it  is  deep  enough.  At 
the  head  of  the  lake  is  a  pond  which  ser\es  as  a  sort 
uf  feeder.  In  passing  on  to  Somesville  we  noticed 
i)ut  few  dwelliniis,  thoui:h  we  saw  no  less  than  two 
meeting-houses  with  their  roofs  fallinir  in.  Formerly 
they  were  occu[)ied  by  Ikiptisls,  but  on  in(piiry  we 
learned  that  the  religious  interest  formerly  felt  had 
greatly  declined. 

Jiefore  reachiuix  Somesville,  charmiiio-  views  wci'e 
gained  of  the  waters  of  the  north  shore  of  the  island 
towards  Trenton  Dridiie.  The  outlet  of  Loni;  Lake 
was  also  seen  as  we  passed.  The  water  at  this  point 
runs  toward  the  sound,  and,  owing  to  the  operations 
of  the  mill,  savored  somewhat  of  the  character  of  a 
saw-dust  soup. 

In  going  from  Somesville  to  South-west  Harbor  on 
what  is  called  the  Pretty-marsh  Road,  we  had  a  line 


io6 


TJie  Lake  Region, 


opportunity  for  observing  Dennhig's  Lake,  which  is 
about  four  miles  long.    For  u  couple  of  miles  the  road 
runs  nearly  along  its  shore,   and  the  view  is  unob- 
structed by  foliage.     This  lake  boasts  a  single  island. 
On  the  opposite  side  the  long  slope  of  Beech  Moun- 
tain rises   in  its   own  peculiar  beauty.      As   we    go 
southward,  the  road  gradually  ascends  along  the  base 
of  Dog  Mountain,  while  at  the  head  of  this  lake  Beech 
Mountain  suddenly  shoots  up  into  the  air,  presenting 
that  immense  precipice  known  as  Storm  Cliff,  and  of 
which  mention  has  already  been  made.    In  the  bright- 
est weather  it  wears  a  threatening  aspect,  and  seems 
to  frown.     The  w^all  of  debris  accumulated  here  at 
the  foot  of  the  cliff,  descends  rapidly  to  the  deep  water, 
which  lies  dark  and  sullen  in  the  shade.     This  ram- 
part of  rock,  lifting  itself  up  into  the  sky,  looks  as  if  it 
would  last  forever,  yet  the  unseen,  but  acting  powers 
of  the  air  are  busily  at  work  flinging  down  fragment 
on  fragment,  and  the  time  may  eventually  come  when 
the  dee[)  water  on  its  front  will  not  float  a  boat.     The 
expression  of  the  lake  at  this  point  is  grand.     Words 
cannot  convey  a  just  sense  of  its  impressive  character. 
In  visiting  these  two  lakes  we  complete  a  circle, 
still  leaving  Long  Lake,  which  lies  between  them,  to 
be  examined.      The  distance  from  South-west  Har- 
bor  is   about   two  and  a  half  miles,  by  the   Beech 
Mountain  road,   from   which  we   finally  diverge   to- 
wards the  westward,  or  left,  and  again  at  the  i)roper 
distance,  to  the  right.     This  lake  is  totally  unlike,  and 


TJie  Lake  Rczion. 


107 


has  no  connection  with,  the  other  two.  It  is  situated 
in  a  long  deep  valley,  or  trough,  between  Beech  and 
Western  Mountains,  which  at  the  south  end  of  the 
lake  rises  gracefully  upward  on  either  hand,  like  the 
inner  side  of  a  ship's  walls,  clothed  with  veiihne  to 
the  top.  We  descend  to  its  mai'gin  by  a  rongli  wood- 
road,  gaining  through  the  openings  in  the  trees  an 
occasional  glimpse  of  the  water,  which,  in  a  clear  day, 
borrows  its  color,  tone  and  expiession  from  the  skies  ; 
yet,  at  certain  hours,  the  woody  mountains  phot' giaph 
their  green  forms  on  its  face. 

The  forest  comes  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water, 
except  at  the  end,  where  there  is  a  beautiful  beach, 
drawn  in  the  form  of  a  bow,  and  covered  with  hand- 
some granite  pebbles.  Here  is  found  a  lovely  s})ot 
either  for  pic-nic  occasions  or  solitary  hours.  The 
lake  at  this  point  is  not  broad,  and  a  projecting  spur 
denies  an  extensive  view  ;  yet  this  circumstance  pre- 
pares the  way  for  a  pleasing  surpiise,  when  we  get 
fairly  launched  in  a  boat.  Descending  the  lake,  the 
prospect  opens  until  we  look  down  the  watery  vista  to 
the  end.  The  beauty  nowhere  rises  into  grandeur,  as 
at  Denning's  Lake,  yet  wc  find  ourselves  in  a  kind  of 
picture-gallery,  where  an  artist  might  proiitably  spend 
a  week  imbibing  the  pure  lessons  of  nature. 

When  at  15ar  Harbor  every  person  should  improve 
the  occasion  to  visit  Eagle  Lake  and  Jordan's  Pond. 
The  latter  sheet  of  water  may  be  reached  from  South- 
west Harbor,  by  crossing  Somes'  Sound,  and  in  going 


io8 


The  Lake  Rc^ioji. 


by  this  route  a  view  may  be  had  of  Iladlock's  Pond ; 
yet  most  persons  will  liiid  it  quite  as  satisfactory  to 
take  their  departure  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
island,  for  the  reason  that  this  route  requires  the 
employment  of  only  one  mode  of  travel. 
.  Iladlock's  l*ond  has  some  attractions,  being  com- 
posed of  two  bodies  of  water  connected  by  an  apology 
for  a  creek,  over  which  the  road  to  North-east  Harbor 
passes,  but  it  does  not  demand  a  special  visit.  Jor- 
d^in's  Pond,  however,  will  well  repay  the  journey  of 
about  nine  miles  from  15a r  Harbor.  The  route  lies 
by  the  way  of  Echo  Notch  and  Otter  Creek.  About 
three  miles  beyond  the  latter  jdace,  the  road  to  Jor- 
dan's touches  the  main  road,  turniuij  back  from  it  at  a' 
sharp  angle,  and  running  northwaid  for  the  distance 
of  a  mile  to  the  Jordan  farm-house,  w  hich  stands  near 
the  outlet  of  the  lake.  This  is  the  onlv  dweliins; 
found  here.  Attached  is  a  barn  and  some  outbuild- 
ings that  have  felt  the  hand  of  time.  The  situation  is 
solitary,  but  it  is  one  of  nuich  beauty,  and  is  capable 
of  great  improvement  as  a  place  of  resort.  A  short 
walk  through  the  fields  terminates  at  the  outlet  of  the 
lake,  marked  by  a  dam  and  the  skeleton  of  a  mill. 
The  lake,  for  this  is  too  line  a  body  of  w  ater  to  call  a 
pond,  is  about  two  miles  long,  and  about  half  a  mile 
wide,  lying  between  the  southern  s[)ur  of  Sargent's 
Mountain  and  I'emetic,  with  the  Pubble  Mountains, 
or  Twins,  at  its  head.  The  eastern  face  of  Sargent 
looks  tow'ard  the  lake,  \\  Inch,  according  to  the  fashiou 


T/ic  Lake  Region.  io( 

of  tliese  iiH„nitai.:s,  chives  a  ]n,:g  line  of  splendid  elili; 
rising  magnilicenlly  against  tlic3  sky,  a  so.-t  of  Titanic 
wall.  IVnietic  looks  across  the  lake  at  Lis  nei-ddmr, 
appearing  grand  and  gray;  while  the  Twins  si"  side 
side  by  side  at  the  north,,  alike  clad,  as  is  meet,  in 
robes  (jflivino- o-i-een. 

It  was  noon-tide  when  we  reached  the  lake,  wliere, 
among  the  rocks  on  the  shore,  tlie  cuisuie  was  set  up' 
and  a  fire  pnt  to   crackling  nnder  a  borrowed  kettle, 
which  was   supported  by   a    pine   crotch.      Amarii fi 
prononneed   the  cort'ee   prime;  and  when   lunch    was 
over  we  launched  an  old  dory  for  the  purpose  of  gohpr 
on  a  voyage.     Ikit  our  plans  wei-e  doomed  to   perisl^, 
for  no  sooner  did  the   dory  touch  the   lake   than    the' 
water  spurted  up  through  a   lunnlred   lioles.     There- 
upon  Piscator  cut  a   birch  rod,  produce.!  his   instru- 
ments  of  torture,  and  went  off  to  inveigle  the  hapless 
trout.     Disappearing  among  the  bushes  bordering  the 
stream,  he  was  seen  no  more  until,  in  answer  to  our 
halloos,  he  left  liis  rod  aifd  came  forth  to  go  Iiome 
having  a  string  of  fish  in  liis   hand  for  to-morrow'J 
breakfast. 

As  for  the  rest  of  us,  we  lounged  away  tlie  wliole 
afternoon  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  saying,  amornr 
other  things,  liow  fine  it  would  be  to  push  throu-h  the 
dense  underwood  skirting  the  feet  of  Sargem  and 
scale  the  cliffs.  We  contented  ourselves,  however 
with  words.  ' 

It  was  interesting  here  to  note  the  changes  that 


no 


The  Lake  Region, 


gradually  took  place  on  the  lake.  As  the  afternoon 
wore  on  and  the  slanting  shadows  were  developing 
on  the  sides  of  the  Twins,  we  found,  as  was  also  the 
case  when  we  afterwards  climbed  them,  that  they  did 
not  stand  side  by  side,  but  that  one  was  pushed  far  in 
advance  of  the  other,  making  out  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  lake. 

Towards  six  o'clock  it  ])egan  to  grow  damp  and 
misty,  and  the  fog  gathered  around  the  Twins,  which 
caused  one  of  the  party  to  suggest  that  they  were 
putting  on  their  cloaks,  preparatory  to  a  general  meet 
of  the  mountains.  So  we  thought  that  we  had  better 
'>e  going  too.  Therefore,  after  looking  into  the  old 
farm-house,  to  see  a  man  with  only  one  leg,  competing 
with  the  Lowell  looms  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
flannel,  for  weaving  which  he  received  ten  cents  a 
yard,  we  packed  into  our  carriage, — an  open  one, — and 
drove  off.  Soon  we  h.ad  a  pouring  rain,  with  light- 
ning and  thunder,  but  Piscator  drove  up  hill  and 
down  like  mad,  and  brought  us  to  Bar  Harbor  in  less 
than  two  hours. 


The  last  of  the  lakes  to  be  mentioned  is  Eagle 
Lake,  so  called  by  Church,  w^ho  sketched  at  Mount 
Desert  during  a  number  of  summers.  It  stands  higher 
above  the  sea  than  the  other  lakes,  and  is  only  two 
and  a  half  miles  from  Bar  Harbor.  The  outlet  is 
found  in  a  depression  of  the  road  half  a  mile  beyond 
the  foot  of  Green  Mountain,  and  will  be  recognized 


iwiiBimwiifif-ww^iCOTnipiVIHV^Pppnr''^ 


The  Lake  Region. 


Ill 


by  the  frame  of  an  old  mill,  wl.leli  formeilv  made  tlie 
water  do  some  liard  work.  Of  late  years  the  mill 
interests  in  this  region  have  been  in  a  poor  con- 
dition. 

A  short  path  tln-ough  the  bushes  brings  ns  to  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  from  whence  the  view  up  to  its  head 
is  unobstructed.    The  lake  in  its  general  characteristics 
IS  bright  and  beautiful.     It  can  hardly  be  said  to  pos- 
sess the  element  of  grandeur,  under  any  circumstances, 
yet  artists  will  perhaps  find  that  it  has  more  material 
for  i)ictures  tlian  any  other  in  the  island.     It  is  about 
two  miles  long,  and  of  tolerable  openness  at  the  skies, 
wliile   the    country   towards  the  north  is   sulliciently 
low  to  afford  distant  views  of  the  nearest  mainland. 
On  the  east  side   are  the  flanks  of  Green  Mountain, 
sweeping  gradually  up  towards  the  apex,  and  on  thj 
west  is  the  low  ridge  running  north  from  the  sides  of 
the  Twins,  while  still  flirther  west  is  seen  the   huge 
form  of  Sargent,  its  bold  peak  towering  upward  to  the 
sky.     At  the  south  end  the  aspect  of  Pemeiic  is  re- 
markably beautiful  and  bold.     Starting  near  the  east 
side  of  the  lake,  its  ridge  runs  diagonally  away  towards 
the  south-east,  the  top  being  sharp  and  rounded  like 
the  edge  of  an  upturned  hatchet.      -Without  even  a 
human  being,  the  scene,  especially  when   the  lake  is 
ruffled,  seems  full  of  life.     So  great  is  the  variety, 
that  even  the  solitary  boatman  seldom  feels  alone. 

But  as  regards  boats  the  lakes  of  Mount  Desert  are 
not  particularly  well  provided,  and  it  will  often  bo 


I  12 


The  Lake  Region. 


found  necessarv  to  omploy  som(i  wrctclied  liiilk,  unless 
cai'ff'ul  {)i-()\id()n  is  made  by  an  arrangement  in  ad- 
vance. In  tlie  account  of  liubble  Mountain  I  spoke 
of  rowing  up  tlie  lake,  l)ut  on  another  occasion  I  was 
n;)t  fortunate  in  securini*;  ;i  ijood  boat,  and  Theoloiricus 
and  mvself  were  obliii-ed  to  mj  up  to  Pemetic  in  ati 
old  leaky  yawl,  bedaubed  with  tar,  with  short  ])ieces 
of  board  fn*  oars.  It  was  a  beautiful  afternoon,  how- 
ever, and  a  light  breeze  from  the  north  favored  ns,  so 
that  we  pa<l(lk'(l  thoughtlessly  u[)  the  lake,  not  think- 
ing how  we  should  get  back.  As  we  passed  the  cliffs 
in  the  Ijubble  ridge,  they  seemed  to  come  forward 
towards  the  water  to  look  down  upon  iis,  and  then 
gradually  with(b-aw  from  sight.  Towards  tiie  upper 
end  they  are  between  three  and  four  hundred  feet 
high,  and  crowned  with  plumes  of  pine.  In  one  jdace 
the  birches  are  so  intermini>led  with  the  arbor  vita:', 
that  it  is  impossible  to  go  through  without  a  sharp 
axe.  At  this  end  is  a  number  of  beautiful  sand 
beaches,  on  one  of  which  I  found  the  track  of  deer. 
There  are  i)lenty  of  lake  trout  to  be  had,  though 
of  other  kinds  of  lish  there  are  none.  I  was  here  told 
of  a  great  water-snake  which  formerly  made  its  habi- 
tation in  the  lake.  The  story  goes,  that;  in  a  fire, 
which  burned  the  woods,  he  w^as  overtaken  and  broiled 
alive.  I  afterwards  found  that  the  story  had  travelled 
as  far  as  Grand  ^lenan,  and  the  reader  may  be  assured 
that  it  lost  nothing  in  the  passage.  At  that  place  I 
met  a  Lubec  fisherman  foi-merly  acquainted  with  tliis 


mmm 


mmmmmmm 


The  Lake  Region. 


n3 

••^I^nid.       Ho    was    pmfnnn.llv    superstition.,    and    m, 
nmm.luastoo.,-c.aM;.rl.i.  lai.l,     Kvr.vthi.M.- i,.  tho 
^I^Hj.oof  a  u-o.Hln-n.l    stnry   was    seized*  witlf  oa..vr- 
m'ss.  and  l.e  would  dwell   npnn   ^l.n.ts   with   ap,,an.,t 
'^'l>i^l-f.      TlM.    people  of    X,.v    J^run.wi.k   w.re    just 
tli'M,  exeited  ahoni  the  H.a-serp.ut  se.M,  in     Lake    Tlo- 
I''='-l'<'  ••"•'•'"n.fs  of  wI.irl,,f,>ovtlnM-wi,Iul.e  prepara- 
tions   f.r   Ms    captuns    lilled    several    <...lun,ns   in    tho 
l'^'^^J"'.i<""'"='l^.      l•^>l•  im-  own  part   I   was  seeptieal 
und  all  the  arguments  of  our  frien.l  the  fish(>rnian  did 
iiot  avail.     Finally,  a  l>ri;^ht  i<lea  seemed  to  enter  his 
wwvA,  and  he  hroke  as  follows: 

''  Say,  now,  ain't  you  fioni  Mount  Desert  ^" 
'•  Yes.*' 

''  ^Vall,  they  Iiad  one  thvrc.  any  Iiow." 

"  IJ'it  that,  accu'ding  to  the  aJlidavit,  sworn  to  in 
court,  was  seen  fourteen  miles  away  from  tlu)  laud." 

'^'Sliaw,  that  ain't  it.  You've  come  all  the  way 
from  Mount  Desert  and  ain't  heeru  tell  on  'im.  He 
wasn't  in  tlie  sea.  Now  you  know  that  nn'o-hty  pooty 
pond  up  by  Green  :\rountain  ?" 

"  Y^es." 

"AVall,  tluat's  tlie  place  wliero  the  sarpint  was 
Ilo'd  come  right  out  of  the  pond  and  ketch  a  laml,  an' 
oat  im,  and  they  couldn't  do  nothin-  cos  l,e  was  so 
big.  IJnt  the  woods  got  alire  an<l  killed  'im,  and 
when  tliey  found  'im  there  wus  forty  jints  of  backboiie 
a  foot  thick." 

''All,"  was  the  somewhat  incredulous  rejoinder. 


I"  If  ■"  »• 


114 


TJic  Lake  Red  OH. 


I 


''  Don't  l/lieve  it,  liov  ?  Wall,  then.  Pie  seed  'emT 
This  triumphant  dcichiratioii,  made?  in  a  tone  indi- 
catini^  tlie  consciousness  of  victory,  was  accompanied 
hy  an  emphatic  slap  on  Iiis  knee  witli  a  liand  nearly 
as  l)road  as  one  of  his  own  salt  mackerel.  Further- 
more, I  mi<dit  see  one  of  these  hones  mvself  at  l*ass 
Ilarhor,  on  my  return.  I,  of  course,  promised  so  to 
do,  5tt  tlui  same  time  i)ntting  down  the  name  of  the 
possessor  of  this  remarkable  but  neglected  relic,  which 
would  Ik;  sufhcient  to  gladden  the  heart  of  Storer  or 
Agassiz  for  a  whole  month. 

liut  I  forgot  that  Theologicus  and  myself  were  just 
now  on  Kagle  Lake,  that  "  mighty  j^ooty  pond,"  from 
which  we  did  not  escape  so  easily.  Keaching  the  last 
sand-beach  we  climbed  Pemetic.  On  looking  around 
for  water  to  (luench  our  thirst,  w^e  found  it  was  alto- 
gether nnlike  Homer's  Ida,  "  abundant  in  springs," 
and  were  forced  to  accept  a  draft  of  lichen  soup  from 
a  crevice  in  the  rock.  AVhile  here  my  mind  recurred 
to  a  passage  in  Dr.  Johnson's  acconnt  of  his  tour  to 
the  western  islands  of  Scotland.  Being  at  one  ])lace 
by  ease  and  choice,  and  with  no  immediate  evil  to 
fear,  he  nevertheless  says,  that  "  the  imaginations 
excited  bv  ixn  nnknown  and  untravelled  wilderness, 
are  not  such  as  arise  in  the  artificial  solitude  of  parks 
and  gardens, — a  flattering  notion  of  self-sufficiency,  a 
placid  indulgence  of  voluntary  delusions,  a  secure  ex- 
pansion of  the  fancy,  or  a  cool  concentration  of  the 
mental  powers.     The  phantoms  that  haunt  a  desert 


% 


fel 


A. 


m'mfmitm 


mmmm^mmmt^r^mmm 


The  Lake  Region. 


115 


are  wai)t,  and  misery,  and  (l'r\i;or;  the  evils  of  (l(M'elie- 
tioii  nisli  upon  tlH»  tlioiiirlits  ;  man  is  made  nnwilliii'dv 
aciiuaiiitcd  witli  liis  own  weakness,  and  meditalion 
shows  liini  liow  liltle  lie  can  sustain  and  how  little  he 
can  ])erform."  The  force  of  these  observations  will 
always  he  felt  hy  thoii<ditfid  minds  when  elimhin<'' 
anioiio-  the  slippei-y  elills  that  look  down  in  solenm 
grandeur  ni)on  the  lakes  of  Blount  Desert,  but  I  hardly 
agi-ee  with  him  about  the  etreet  of  such  situations 
upon  the  fancy;  for  the  unwieldy  philosopher,  treading 
like  some  elephant  among  tin;  rocks  of  Mull,  was 
timid,  and  therefore  not  (pndilied  to  stand,  in  this 
res[^,ect,  as  the  representative  man. 

AVe  lingered  liere  until  the  mountain  peaks  around 
ns  were  burnished  by  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun, 
when  Ave  were  fayored  with  an  unusually  tine  exhi- 
bition in  the  west,  the  rich  i^olden  \Ai)\\  beinir  healthy 
in  its  tone,  and  altogether  unlike  those  green-sick  yel- 
lows which  Bierstadt  sometimes  forces  to  the  jaundice 
l^oint. 

At  the  last  moment  we  began  to  stumble  down  the 
mountain  amid  the  deepening  twilight.  This  task 
occupied  more  than  an  hour.  Finally  w^e  gained  the 
boat,  bailed  her  out,  and,  havini;  no  friendly  breeze  to 
carry  us  back,  we  were  obliged  to  use  our  bits  of 
board.  These  would  have  availed  us  nothing,  if  there 
had  been  a  contrary  wind.  As  it  turned  out,  however^ 
%ye  liad  a  beautiful,  cahu  starlii-ht  niijht,  and  were 
able  to  paddle  slowly  down   the  lake.     The   echoes 


ii6 


The  Lake  Region. 


|i 


among  tlie  moiiii tains  on  tlii?  occasion  proved  rcmark- 
ahlv  line,  tiie  sonnd  of  onr  soiccs  lieiini;  rotnrned  from 
all  (inart(3rs.  So  wo  clieerfully  paddled  on,  only  stop- 
l)in<»-  (occasionally  lo  talk  witli  the  bills,  or  to  bail  ont 
the  boat  wlileh  leaked  like  a  sieve.  In  the  conrse  of 
the  ev(3iiing  the  moon  rose  from  behind  a  clond,  and 
once  looked  ont  njjon  tlie  lake.  Bnt  gdnth}  Lnna 
seemed  far  from  |)leased  with  the  prospect,  and  with- 
drew her  face. 

It  was  past  ten  o"ch)ck  when  we  approaelied  the 
laiidinji^  at  the  foot  of  the  lake.  At  a  little  hnt  on  tlie 
sh;)re  (of  a  cove,  a  Harvard  stndent  and  liis  friend 
were  })assing  the  night,  in  order  to  be  on  hand  for  the 
trout  by  daylight  in  the  morning.  AVe  heard  them 
singing  college  songs  at  the  top  of  their  voices  nncon- 
scious  of  tlic  fact  that  they  had  an  audience.  In  the 
afcernoon  they  saw  us  paddling  down  the  lake,  but,  not 
seeing  us  return,  they  concluded  that  we  had  left  our 
b:)at  and  gone  over  the  mountains.  Unable,  in  the 
darkness,  to  find  the  landing,  we  hailed  tliem,  and  in 
reply  were  invited  ashore  to  the  shanty,  "  io  take 
Romethini]:,"  ''  some  liot  cotree."  l>ut  our  heavv  yawl 
was  afoul  of  the  sunken  rocks,  and  we  therefore  de- 
clined ihcir  invitation,  and  retjuested  a  j)ilot  instead. 
Til  a,  minute  or  two  their  little  white  l)oat,  scarcely 
more  than  a  skill',  shot  out  from  the  dark  cove  like  a 
ppectre,  and  after  c:)nsiderable  trouble  we  were  helped 
in  to  the  only  piece  of  beach  found  here  amonu"  the 
boulders,  and  got  ashoi'e.     Just  then  the  v  >ou   burst 


^ ,  I 


f 


The  Lake  Region. 


117 


out  from  amoni;  tlio  cl;)ii(ls,  jloodiuix  the  patliwav 
tliroiiii'li  the  wov)ds  with  ji  dear  sil\er  liiiiit.  We 
a(?cor(liiio-lv  ])a(le  (Air  ])cneractor.s  ij.xxl  iiiulit,  and 
wearily  heii'au  to  olod  the  honiewai'd  wav.  At  the 
distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half  from  liar  JIai'bor,  we 
met  the  ad\ance  guard  of  an  alarmed  party  coming 
out  to  the  lake  to  search  for  us. 


b 


BEACH     RAMBLES. 

CHAP  T  E  U     I  X . 

Mauine  Life  —  Si:a  Wall  —  The  Ovens—  The  Gregoires 

—  The   Assyrian  —  Schooner   Head  —  Spouting   Horn 

—  Great  Head  —  Otter  Creek. 

EACH  I'ambles  at  Mount  Desert  are  in- 
vested with  unusual  interest,  l)otli  by  the 
splendid  clitfs  and  caves,  and  by  the  im- 
mense tidal  ilow,  whieh  at  the  ebb  lays 
bare  the  rocks  and  flats,  unveiling  a  tliousand  secrets 
of  ihe  sea.  Here  the  naturalist  will  find  that  a  moi'ii- 
inii's  wallv  is  worth  somethinji:.  If  reallv  in  earnest, 
he  lias  only  to  ste[)  into  a  pair  of  long  rubber  boots, 
walk  down  to  the  shore,  and,  staff"  in  hand,  fcdlow  the 
receding  waves.  Am^ong  the  rock-pools  and  sludlows 
he  will  thus  be  able  to  explore  the  crystal  dwellings 
of  a  large  variety  of  marine  creatures,  and  call  upon, 
ut  their  own  homes,  those  marvels  of  ocean  life  that, 
farther  south  on  the  New  Kngland  coast,  might  never 
be  seen  at  all. 

It  is  exceedingly  interesting  to  inspect  the  huge 
star-rtsh  and  tbe  monster  anemone,  whose  ouls[)read 
tenlacles  wouM  1111  a  Dei'bv  hat ;  but,  not  evervone  is 
willing  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  sea-side  « .i"rt//Y, 


I 


L       1    .IIM^IHJpillUWll 


M 


Beach  Rambles, 


119 


ulio  says,  ill  the  hinguage  of  CMlibun,  '^  T  piitliee,  let 
mo  bring  thee  where  crabs  grow."  Most  {;ers()iis 
prefer  to  keep  tolerably  near  the  high  water  mark. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  localities  for  a  beach 
ramble  on   the  southern  part  of  tlie  island   is  at   the 
Sea  Wall,  which  is  nothini]j  less  than   the  freoloi-ist's 
shingle   beach.       It   appears    almost  as    if    built    by 
human    hands    for   a   breakwater,    a    purpose   that  it 
indeed  serves;  and  yet  a  Cyclop  would  be  uiie([uai  to 
the    task    accomplished    by    the    wa-es.      From    the 
Ocean  House,  opposite  the  steamboat  wharf  at  South- 
west Harbor,  to  the  sea  wall,  is  just  a   fair  half-hour's 
walk  by  a  g()(jd  road.     On  this  n-ad,  too,  mav  be  had 
some  beautiful  views   of  the  entire  mountain   region 
that  can  hardly  be  surpassed  anywhere  on   the  island. 
Still,  as  we  are  supposed  to  be  out  for  a  hcaclt  ramble, 
it  may  prove  as  well  to  cross  the   fields  to   the  shore. 
Here  the  i)rospect  is  also  iii.:e,  the  entire  eastern  group 
being  in  sight,  while  northward  we  look  up    Somes' 
Sound.     The  entire  walk  around  to  the  Sea  AVall   is 
full   of  interest.      The   way   is    ronirh    and    lib(M-aIIv 
strewn  with  boulders,  but  the  sccjiie  is   animated,  and 
the  gossip  with  the  fisher-folk  on  the   shore  is   not 
without   profit.     The  afternoon    when   I   walked  tliat 
way  the  weather  was  fine,  the  breeze  mild,  and  only  a 
light  swell  falling  with  a  gentle  lush  u[)on  the   shore. 
1  he  most  of  the  boats  had  come  in,  and  the  men  were 
cleaning  fish,  or  mendinjjf  their  nets.     ]>lue-eved  cliil- 
dien  were  playing  around  the  beach,  seme  still  w     *tii« 


3 


n* 


I20 


reach  Raniblcs. 


1'  )V  tlic'ir  i'jitliers  to  come  a>liore.  Tlie  fi.slicrnuin's  life  is 
;i  ii;i!<l  one,  and  liis  i'ainilv  suffer  iiiucli  anxiety,  not- 
wiLlistandiiiii;  llieir  faniiliaritv  with  the  f^ea.  I  noticed 
;i  vounii-  woman  leadini;  a  ci)ui)le  of  cliihh-en  and  walk- 
ing  up  and  down  the  beacli.  Finally  she  went  ni;ci 
sat  on  the  bank,  all  the  whih;  looking  eanmstlv  sea- 
Avard,  straining-  her  eyes  to  discover  some  object.  She 
was  waitin<jj  for  her  husband.  Finally  a  well-known 
sail  hove  in  siiiht  around  Cranberry  Island,  and  came 
gliding  on  towards  the  beach,  assisted  by  a  leeward 
oar.  When  within  hail,  T  heard  her  ask,  "AVhatluck, 
John?"  The  individual  thus  laconically  Jiddressed, 
and  whose  head  was  surmounted  by  an  old  balt<'red 
"sou'wester,"  replied  by  going  to  the  sheets  and  haul- 
ing i)art  way  out  of  the  water  a  huge  halibut  that  he 
was  towinii;  astern.  The  answer  was  satisfactory,  at 
least  so  said  the  wife's  face ;  and  noAV,  wntle  reader, 
wish  them  ever  good  luck,  for, 

"  O  well  rany  tlie  boatic  row, 
And  better  may  she  !^i)(^c(l, 
And  niucklo  luck  attend  (ho  boat 
'J'liat  wins  the  bariiie's  bread." 

As  I  went  on  T  th  )u<iht  of  the  lisher-women  of  Venice, 
who  ixo  to  the  shore  of  the  Adriatic  and  sini^  a  melody 
until  they  hear  the  voices  of  their  returninii"  husbands 

4  O 

cluiuntinii'  a  renlv. 

Coming  around  the  point  u[)on  the  south  shore,  the 
S<>a  Wall  appeared  in  sight,  a  broad  and  high  ridge, 
composed  of  loose   boulders  yarvinej   iu   si^o   f.om  u 


Beach  Rambles. 


121 


loaf  of  broad  to  a  barrel,  ^\itll  tlio  ocean  rolliiisT  in  on 
one  side  and  a  low  meadow  on  the  olber.  'J'lie  mate- 
rial is  thrown  np  in  great  confn^ion,  and  persons  nn- 
accnstomed  to  sneli  sinlits  arc;  invarial)lv  imnrcsscd  bv 
its  maiinitnde.  At  this  ])oint  the  rock  niiderlvini; 
the  wliole  island  is  expr)sed  to  tlie  ravau'es  of  the  sea, 
wliieli  breaks  off  large  blocks,  tossing  tliem  in  the  surf 
mitil  some  great  storm  comes,  wlicn  the  fragments  are 
driven  np  be^'ond  the  ordinaiy  line  of  operation  to  lie 
at  rest. 

Tliis  place  is  somewhat  celebrated  for  the  fine 
specimens  of  green  feldspar  nsnally  obtainable.  The 
mineral  occurs  in  masses  of  various  sizes,  disfibuted 
generally  among  the  rocks.  Specimens  are  vahuMl  as 
souvenirs  of  the  island.  It  is  of  a  beauiifid  \\\n\  though 
possessing  all  the  characteristics  of  the  ordinary  feld- 
spar. ]>ut  notwithstanding  its  fiiable  nature;  it  has 
been  successfully  worked  in  the  manufacture  of  orna- 
ments. This  is  an  excellent  place  to  collect  sea-mosses. 
(^pi)osite  arc  the  Craid)en'y  Islands,  on  one  of  whicli 
is  seen  a  church  s[)ire.  Dead  Man's  IJeach  may  also 
be  seen.  It  is  so  called  f  )r  the  reason  that,  lon<j  ai»(), 
a  wlude  ship's  crew  was  drowned  thei'e  and  buried  in 
one  common  grave.  On  the  Sea  AVall  wrecks  are  not 
infrecpient,  and  the  bones  of  one  ^•essel  W(>re  still 
Iviuix  where  thev  had  been  tossed  ;d)o\e  \\vA\  water 
mark.  There  is  little  hope  of  a  shi[)  that  gets  ni[>ped 
in  this  place,  for  she  is  tolerably  suie  of  being  ground 
to  pieces. 


Wft 


122 


Beach  Rambles. 


II 


There  ;ire  otlicr  s[)Ots  on  tliis  part  of  the  island  well 
woi'tliv  of  bein<»:  .souii;lit  out,  such,  for  instance,  as  Bass 
llai'l)!>r  and  tlie  east  side  of  Clark's  Point.  At  the 
latter  place  a  ramble  may  be  had  along  the  sound. 
Exploring  in  that  vicinity  one  day,  we  found  a  hermit, 
who  has  lived  for  about  ten  years  on  the  point  of  land 
opposite  and  close  by  Fernald's  Point.  He  is  of  the 
same  faith  as  the  Jesuit  Fathers  who  founded  their 
Mission  witliHi  a  few  rods  of  his  hut  in  1G13,  yet  very 
unlike  them  in  works.  Hearing  by  accident  of  his 
existence,  we  resolved  to  pay  him  a  visit,  expecting  to 
find  one  of  those  venerable  characters  seen  in  old  pic- 
tures, with  flowing  robes,  sandaled  feet,  and  a  snowy 
beard  sweeping  down  his  breast, 


"  Like  Barbaropsa,  who  pits  iu  his  cave, 
Taciturn,  sombre,  sedate  and  grave." 

But  instead,  he  proved  a  short,  red-faced  individual, 
clad  in  a  flannel  shirt  and  patched,  sordid  trowsers, 
with  the  remnant  of  a  greasy  felt  hat  on  his  head. 
His  house  was  a  mere  hut,  about  twenty  feet  square 
and  eight  feet  high,  the  flat  roof  having  just  enough 
inclination  to  shed  water.  The  only  mode  of  ingress 
was  through  a  latticed  hen-coop,  the  roof  of  which 
was  partially  formed  of  an  old  boat  turned  bottom  ui). 
On  invitation,  we  entered  by  this  porch,  and  when  the 
l)ui)ils  of  our  eyes  had  accommodated  themselves  to 
the  feeble  light  struggling  in  through  a  single  pane 
of  glass,   the   situation  became  apparent.      Of  floor 


Beach  Rambles. 


\2\ 


there  was  none,  save  (lie  motlier  earth.  On  one  side 
was  a  bunk  for  sleepinii',  and  in  the  corner  a  bin  for 
potatoes,  witli  an  old  brokoji  stove  in  tho  middle.  All 
was  wretched  and  unclean  to  the  last  deixree,  vet  he 
seemed  to  feel  very  comfortable,  lie  was  al^()  in  li'ood 
s[)irits,  having  just  received  live  dollars  from  an  artist 
for  sitting  for  his  portrait. 

A  iilance  into  the  bin  discovered  a  sittiinj,-  hen 
spreading  herself,  as  the  hermit  said,  over  a  dozen 
and  a  half  of  eggs,  while  in  the  corner  another  vener- 
able fowl  clucked  i)roudly  in  the  midst  of  fourteen 
offspring  that  had  just  walked  out  of  their  shells. 
When  we  begged  for  a  little  more  light  on  the  .-nbjcct, 
he  drew  back  a  shingle  slide  underneath  the  pane  of 
glass  and  revealed  a  hole  w  hich  he  said  was  for  the 
accommodation  of  his  cat.  Looking  into  a  corner  the 
eyes  of  Felis  appeared  Hashing  in  the  twilight  like  a 
couple  of  balls  of  ijjrcen  lire.  Gettiuii*  out  a<iain  we 
sat  down  on  a  bench,  and  listened  to  the  hermit  as  he 
told  his  manner  of  life,  passed  so  democratically  in  his 
duiiiv  den  with  his  chickens  and  cat.  lie  was  weary 
of  the  world,  and  liked  to  be  with  himself.  His  sum- 
mer work  secured  the  winter's  simple  fare.  What 
wood  he  wanted  the  sym[)athizing  waves  tossed  n[) 
at  his  door,  and  as  for  candle  ho  had  none.  The 
long  evenings  were  specially  consecrate  to  meditation, 
spiritual  songs  and  prayer.  All  this  was  for  the  good 
of  his  soul. 

Amarinta  hinted  that  cleanliness  was  next  to  jjidli" 


124 


Beach  Rambles. 


.h 


ness,  wliicli  sentinunt  gave  this  (li.sci[)le  of  St.  Francis 
so  little  concern,  that  it  was  followed  np  with  a  point- 
ed homily  on  diit.  I'^or  this  likewise  the  h<»lv  man 
did  not  seem  to  care  eithei",  and  when  bringing  some 
water  he  still  had  the  conrage  to  [.resent  a  cnj>  which 
Amarinta  vainlv  tui-ned  aronnd  once  and  aiiain  in  the 
endeavor  to  find  the  clean  side. 

In  striking  contrast  with  his  hnt  and  person  was 
his  '"•garden,"  yclept  a  potato  p-atch,  withont  weeds, 
fanltlessly  neat,  inclosed  by  a  brushwood  fence,  and 
extencUnii:  to  the  edi^e  of  the  beach.  From  thence  he 
volunteered  to  bring  Amarint.a  a  'Miosegay,"  bnt 
fnially  presented  only  a  sprig  of  mint,  of  which  he 
planted  a  little  for  "  sickness."  Anreole,  who  is  a 
judge,  afterwards  vowed  it  was  for  jule])s,  aiid  cited  in 
proof  the  hermit's  red  nose.  AVe  b-ade  the  hermit  of 
IMount  Desert  good  day,  persuaded  that  ^ve  had  at 
least  found  a  character. 

sStill,  the  great  beach  raml)les  are  to  be  had  on  the 
cast  and  south-east  sides  of  the  island.  I;ar  Harbor 
must  be  the  starting-point  for  all  those  localities.  To 
reach  Bar  Harbor  by  land  from  South-west  Harbor, 
we  iirst  di-ive  to  Somessille,  and  then,  turning  the 
head  of  the  Sound,  continue  on  eight  miles  farther. 
For  the  greater  part  of  the  distance  the  road  is  hilly, 
and  in  some  jilaces  exceedingly  steep.  The  views 
gained  on  the  road,  hosvever,  are  fine.  One  sight 
alone,  the  mountains  seen  from  the  Saddle  of  Sargent, 
three  miles  from  Bar  Harbor,  will  repay  the  journey. 


BcacJi  Ranihhs 


125 


The  village  of  ]?ar  Harbor,  conroriiinir  wliicli  noih- 
iiig  ill  particular  lias  yet  l.con  -aid,  is  hcauliriilly 
situated  within  a  short  walk  of  the  beach,  and  close  lo 
Newpoi't  ami  Tlreen  ^Fountains — here  onr  ever-pres- 
ent conij)anions.  In  fi-ont  are  the  Porcupine  Islands, 
lyin<r  in  the  month  of  Freucliman's  Uay,  and  b.'yond 
are  the  Gohlsborongh  Hills.  The  [)rospect  is  not 
altogetlier  unlike  that  found  in  some  places  on  tln^ 
shore  of  Lake  Winnepesauke,  and  we  do  not  always 
realize  that  we  ai-e  lookinir  upon  salt  water,  until  we 
catch  a  gfimpse  of  some  ci-aft  peculiar  to  the  sea. 

A  beach  extends  along  the  front  of  the  villa'--e  on 
both  sides  of  the  landing.  Here  is  ihie  bathinii'  for 
those  who  like  the  cool  temperature  of  the  water, 
while  the  geologist  will  be  delighted  by  the  glacial 
marks  deeply  cut  on  the  snrfa<*e  of  the  rocks. 

Bar  Island  is  the  nearest  of  the  rorcu[)ine  group, 
and  twice  in  every  twent\ -four  hours  the  narrow  strip 
of  sand  connecting  it  with  the  main  is  uncovered,  as 
if  for  the  convenience  of  visitors,  who  can  thus,  like 
the  Israelites,  walk  dry-shod  through  the  sea. 

This  place  will  be  visited  hrst  by  those  who  are 
resolutely  bent  on  seeing  the  whole  island;  afterwards 
the  ''Ovens"  claim  attention. 

The  Ovens  are  situated  about  six  or  seven  miles 
northward,  and  it  would  not  be  profitable  to  w  the 
whole  way  following  the  line  of  the  beach,  on  account 
of  the  ditficultics  that  are  met,  and  the  projecting 
points  of  land  that  double  the  distance.     Going  by  the 


126 


Beach  Rambles, 


if 


'% 


bcacli  it  ^vill  ))C  best  to  make  ITuU's  Cove — two  miles 
— tlic  (irst  jioiiit,  taking  Duck  Brook  Cove  on  the  way. 
At  liigli  water  a  jiart  of  the  way  must  be  travelled 
alon^  ilie  roc.-ks.  In  some  i)laces  they  are  quite  liigh 
and  tViniicd  with  trees. 

Hull's  Cove  is  a  very  pretty  place,  shaped  like  a 
liorsc-Nlioe,  and  has  a  sandy  beach.  Theie  are  only  a 
few  houses.  It  was  named  after  a  brother  of  the 
General  Hull  who  was  not  shot  for  his  cowardice  at 
Detroit,  as  the  court  decreed.  Here  dwelt  Madame 
Marie  Theresc  do  Gregoire,  a  descendant  of  De  la 
Motte  Condillac.^ 

It  appears  that  in  the  year  1G88  the  king  of  France 
gave  to  Condilkxc  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  main, 
together  with  the  Island  of  Mount  Desert,  of  which 
?.e  took  nominal  possession,  and  executed  several 
papers,  in  which  he  styled  himself  "  Lord  of  Donaquee 

(1)  — In  the  pctilion  of  Madame  Grc^oirc,  her  grandfather's  name 
is  spelled  ('ondiihic.  Elsewhere  he  appears  as  "  Autoiue  do  la  Motho 
Cadilhie,  Lord  of  IJonaguat  and  IMouiit  desert  in  Elaine."  lie  was  a 
native  of  Ciascony.  In  the  ParisH  Document  (N.  York  Col.  Doc,  Vol. 
ix.  p.  o9i,)  he  is  spoken  of,  under  date  of  1G94,  as  "  Sieur  Dehunotte- 
Cadiilac,  Cnjitain  of  a  detaclimont  of  Marines,  a  man  of  very  distin- 
guished merit."  In  lt304— 7,  he  commanded  at  Michilimakinac.  In 
1701  he  established  Fort  ronchurtrain,  Detroit,  remaining  with  his 
wife  until  UOG.  The  next  year  ho  returned  to  Quebec.  In  1712  ho 
was  appointed  Governor  of  Louisiana.  In  company  with  do  Crozet, 
he  controlled  the  trade  and  opened  a  silver  mine.  He  returned  to 
France,  Slarch  9,  1717;  and  it  is  said  by  du  I'ratz  (Ilistoh-e  (h  la 
Louisiana,  Vol.  i.  p.  23,)  that  he  died  within  two  years  afterwards. 
Ho  is  identilied  with  the  early  history  of  live  or  six  States.  The  Paris 
Documents,  (X.  York  Col.  Doc,  Vol.  ix.  p.  44G)  say  that  ho  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  New  England  coast;  but  his  connectiou  with 
Mount  Desert  was  nominal. 


Beach  Rambles. 


i2y 


and  iVrount  Desert."     Donaquee  was  tl.o  Indian  name 
of  Lnion  Kiver,  uliieli  empties   into  IJlue   Ilill    JJav. 
And  in  November  of  178(J,  JMadame  r^Faiie  'JMiere^e 
de    Gregoire,  in    company    with    lu>r    husband,    Jlar- 
thelcmy    de    Gregoire,   landed  in    this    country  fruni 
iM-ance,  and  appeared  before  the    General   Court  at 
Boston,  petitioning  for  the  confirmation  of  her  ri<dit 
as  the  grand<laughter  of  Condilhic.      Jm  this   coin-sj 
she  was  encouraged  by  Thomas  JeflTerson,  La  V,xx,^iu^ 
and  others.     The  court  heard  and  granted  her  plea,' 
July  G,  1787,  and  afterwards,  by  a  special  act,  natu- 
ralized ]\radame  and  her  husband,  together  with  their 
children,  Pierre,  iVicholas  and  Marie. 

In  1702  the  General  Court  had  granted  the   island 
to   Governor   Bernard,  and   the  king  had  sanctioned 
the  act,  but  his  course  during  the  revolution  was   ob- 
noxious, and  the  island  was  forfeited.     June  2r>,  178,3, 
the  court  had  also  granted  one-half  of  the  island  to' 
Sir  John  Bernard,  who  had  been  friendly  to  tlie  patri- 
ots ;  and  the  following  December  he  agreed   to  pay 
two  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  for  the  other  half, 
but  the  contract  was  ultimately  relinquished,  and  thus' 
the  Gregoires,  as  stated,  obtained   their  rights.     The 
vote,   however,  was  intended  to  be  a  compliment  to 
France,  "  to  cultivate  a  mutual  confidence  and  union 
between  the  subjects  of  His  Most  Christian  Majesty 
and  the  citizens  of  this  State.^  '      * 

(l)-Seo  Resolves  of  Mass..  Vol.  v.  pp.  82. 131, 1789;  Laws  of  Masa., 
vol.  1.  p.  652, 1<8« ;   Papers  Aracr.  Statistical  Society,  Vol.  i.  p.  7G. 


128 


Beach  Rambles. 


A    I 


I  \ 


]\r;i(l!iine  Grci^oii'o  lliiis  came  into  posfjcssion  of 
about  sixlv  tlioiisaiid  acres,  c'inl>raciin;  i)aiis  of  tlie 
iiiiiin  lainl,  and  tli(3  entire  island,  excei)t  Nvliere  already 
oce!ii)ied  by  adnal  settlers. 

On  llicir  adNcnt  at  iNlonnt  Desert  tliev  beuan  to  sell 
oil'  llie  land  at  a  ddllar  an  aci'e,  but  tlicy  do  not  appear, 
on  the  whole,  to  liav(!  been  in  very  aillnent  eireinn- 
stanees.  \\\  ohl  man  at  work  in  a  Held  told  me  that 
he  knew  them  well,  and  remembei'ed  the  eirenmstan- 
ces  attendini;"  their  deadi.  ]\Ionsienr  died  (ii'st,  after 
which  Madame  lived  three  veai's  in  the  family  of  the 
Hulls,  who  oe(aii)i('d  a  house;  that  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  present  briek  omi  near  the  shore.  After  her  death 
a  belt  full  of  ixold  was  foun<l  on  her  body.  About 
three-f  )ui'tlis  of  a  mile  back  from  the  l)eaeh,  the  cellar 
of  the  CJregoiro  house  is  pointed  out.  Here,  with 
their  sea-side  neigh])ors  they  lived  a  secluded  life, 
dwelling  upon  the  great  memories  of  regal  France. 
The  old  nnin,  above  refei'red  to,  said  that  thev  were 
occasionally  visited  by  a  French  Friar  ;  and  that  when 
IMonsieur  left  home  he  usually  went  to  lay  in  an  equal 
stock  of  I'um  and  molasses.  Not,  liowevcr,  that  he 
loved  the  siuirkliuix  vintaires  of  Lano;uedoc  less,  but 
Santa  Cruz  more.  And  too  many  of  our  sea-side 
friends  are  still  overmatched  bv  the  same  infirmitv. 
At  least  the  smugglers  say  so.  At  the  cove,  the  anti- 
quarian mav  irive  half  an  hour  to  diijo:in<i  amonix  the 
Indian  shell  heaps,  where  perhaps  lie  may  find  a  stone 
hatchet. 


Beach  Rambles,  i^q 

Here  it  is  best  to  leave   the   iM'acl,    aii.l    iullnu    il.o 
road    until    tlir   iMn-yi..;^  ^n.u.al   is   ,,a.s(Ml,    a.i.I   ih.-n 
strike  across  the   li.  i.ls   (,f    l',>i,;t    L,vi   to    Saulshury 
Cue.     Ji,  going  lliis  uay  it  uill  ,,rove  interesting  to 
visu  the  graves  of  the   (Irogoires,   foun.l   jnst  (n.tlido 
ot  the  burying.gronnd,  at  the  south-(>ast  eornor.     Wo 
may  rest  assuml  that   the   JJonian   faith  (,f  the   (u-e- 
goires  ha<l  nothing  to  do   with  this  exeln^ion.      The 
ground,  were  laid  out  long  after  the    (;rogoires    died, 
and,     there   being    no    monument,     the    graves    were 
probably  overlooked  when  the  fence  was  put  up.    The 
I'ltere.t  that  has  been  felt  of  htt..  vears   in  evervthin<r 
i-elatmg  to  Mount  Desert  has    brought   manv    visitors 
to   the  spot,   now  marked   only   by    rude   stones,  but 
whieh,  It   we  regard  the   interests   of    history   ah.ne 
should  at  least  be  covered  by  a  suitable  mon.mient. 

'llie  walk  across  Point  Levi  in  a  pleasant  day  is 
perfectly  lovely.  The  woods  an.l  the  fields  are  of  the 
finest,  while  with  what  shall  we  comj-are  the  blue 
waters  of  Frenchman's  liay  ?  The  dav  we  wcmt  to 
the  Ovens  the  haymakers  were  at  work,  and  the  new- 
mown  grass  vied  with  the  wild  rose  in  delicious  p(>r- 
fume,  while  the  little  folk  we  had  along  with  us  vied 
with  one  another  in  blackening  .heir  iiKmths  with 
the  ripe  berries,  afterwards  patt(3ring  down  to  the 
cove,  bearing  long  branches  loaded  with  the  fruit,  like 
victorious  palms. 

Here  we  found  our  boatmen,  who  had  come  around 


■'- 


I^^O 


BcacJi  Rambles. 


the  point  to  meet  us  and  carry  us  on  by  water,  about 
two  miles  farther  to  tlie  Ovens. 

In  going  thither,  alwa}  s  i)lan  so  as  to  reach  the 
ground  two  hours  after  the  ebb.  The  Ovens  arc 
nothing  less  than  some  fine  caves  in  the  cliffs  which, 
being  formed  of  a  sort  of  ])or[)hyritic  rock,  is  easily 
disintegrated  by  the  frost  and  waves.  The  result  is 
quite  imposing.  AVhen  the  tide  is  part  way  down,  a 
boat  can  be  rowed  under  the  largest.  At  low  water 
a  clean,  beautiful  pebbly  beach  is  stretched  along  in 
front.  The  roofs  and  sides  of  the  Ovens,  when  dri[)- 
ping  with  brine,  present  a  variety  of  rich  colors,  com- 
bining with  the  rare  lustre  of  the  feldspar.  The  ac- 
tion of  the  weather  is  also  slowly  decomposing  the 
surface  of  the  rock  all  around  on  the  top  of  the  Ovens. 
A  break  in  the  clitfs  affords  a  shelter  for  boats,  and  at 
the  same  time  a  place  easy  of  ascent.  Here  come 
j^ic-nic  parties  innumerable. 

South  of  the  Ovens  the  cliffs  are  high  and  perpen- 
dicular. In  a  projecting  spur  is  a  long  passage, 
throngh  which  it  is  deemed  proper  to  pass.  Some 
call  it  Via  Mida^  yet  most  persons  are  content  to 
know  it  as  The  Hole  in  the  Rock.  Half-way  up  the 
cliff  the  harebells  bloom  in  security,  and  here  and 
there  a  miniature  })ine  grows  green  in  some  rift. 

A  pleasant  day  here  is  always  short,  and  the  ro.v 
back  enables  one  to  gain  fresh  views  of  the  whole  re- 
gion that  has  been  travelled  on  foot. 

The  next  ramble  should  be  southward  to  Cromwell's 


Beach  Rambles. 


131 


Cove  and  the  Assyrian's  Head.  Tlie  distance  hv 
the  si  lore  is  perliaps  a  long  mile,  thouiih  by  the 
road  less.  Starting  from  the  steamboat  landing,  at 
low  tide  the  whole  distance  can  be  done  below  hiiih- 
water  mark.  Those  interested  in  collecting  pebbles 
will  lind  some  fjood  ones,  thoni>h  there  is  nothin<j:  rare. 
Oj^posice  Mr.  Hardy's  handsome  cottage  is  an  isolated 
rock.  Every  one  mnst  climb  this,  because,  forsooth, 
it  is  Pnlpit  Kock.  In  some  greatrcathedral,  it  would 
serve  a  good  turn  for  the  preacher.  All  along  in  this 
vicinity  the  schisty  rocks  are  splitting  up,  showing 
signs  of  stratillcation,  while  huge  boulders,  brought 
hither  ])y  the  Pre-Adamite  drift,  are  seen  struggling 
with  the  noisy  surf.  This  ramble  affords  a  line  view 
of  the  cliffs  in  one  of  the  Porcupine  Islands  known 
as  AVheeler's.  The  reason  for  the  name  now  also 
ai)pears,  which  is  found  in  tln'ir  resemblance  to  the 
back  of  the  animal  bearing  that  name.  The  likeness 
is  not  so  apparent  as  formerly,  for  the  reason  that 
they  have  lost  so  many  of  their  dea<l  trees,  which 
once  stood  as  thick  the  quills  of  the  "  fretful  i)or- 
cupine." 

At  Cromwell's  Cove  there  aie  fine  studies  in  rock, 
but  here  on  the  shore  further  progress  is  impossible, 
the  beach  running  down  under  the  sea,  which  rolls 
in  against  a  [)erj)endicular  wall.  (Jetting  at  the  right 
angle,  a  rock-man  will  readily  b(^  discovered,  sitting  on 
II  i)edestal  half-way  up  the  clilK  'i'he  peculiar  cast  of 
the  features  led  to  the  name  of  ''The  Assyrian."     Ho 


132 


Beach  Rambles. 


only  Deeds  ii  little  more  strength  in  his  nose  to  apj)ear 
a  model  man. 

Near  the  Assyrian  is  a  line  rift,  forming  a  sort  of 
cave,  into  which  the  sea  s<|ueezes  its^'lf  with  no  little 
force  and  noise.  An  asceiidinui;  i)ath  runs  aloni^  the 
edije  of  the  clifls  anionic  the  trees,  affordinif  an  out- 
look  u[)()n  tlui  hoiling  waters  below. 

This  raml)l(;  will  consume  a  whole  mornini^,  and,  in 
returniuLj:  hv  the  road,  a  I  urn   throuiih  the  lields  lU'ar 
the  Connoi'  farm-house    will   ail'ord   a   glimpse  of  the 
'•  Foot[)rint"  in  a  rock.      1  \\v>l  heard  oi  this   througli 
the  medium  of  a  magazine  called    T/ic   Maine   Li'(//if, 
wdiich  lived  throuiih  one  number  and    then   went  out 
in  darkness.     The  editor,  in  settini!'  forth   the    attrac- 
tions   of   ]Mount     Desert,    speaks    of   impressions   of 
human  fe(>t  foiuid  in  the  rocks  here  and   in   the  neigh- 
boring    isles.      ^\n     iiKpiiry    among     the    iidiabitants 
bronu'Lt  this    to    liirht.     Jt  has    lonix   been    known   as 
the  Indian's  Foot.     It  is  about  fourteen   inches  long 
and  two  dee[),  presenting  what  app(.'ars  to  be  the  im- 
press   of    a    \ery    tolerable    foot.       Jt    is,    no    do(d)t, 
nothin<r  more  than  a  very  curious  fracture  in  a  meta- 
morphic     rock.       Persons    passing    that    way    will   of 
course  go  and  see  it.     'Jdie  children  of  the  ilk  will   be 
glad  to  v'dvn  a  dim(^  in  pointing  out  the  exact  spot. 

In  crt)ssing  the  lields  from  the  Indian's  Foot  to  the 
roa<l,  that  somewhat  rare  llower,  the  purple  orchis, 
may  be  found  on  a  i)iece  of  lowland.  It  is  of  pecu- 
liar interest,  the  reader  will  remember,  from  the  lad 


BcacJi  Rauiblcs 


thiit  Darwin  Itriiii's  it  in  to  liclp  liis  tlicorv  of  ()rii:iiKil 
Sf'lection.  bv  ))ro\iiiir  tlic  friK'tilicatiou  of  tlio  oroliis 
by  insects. 

Noxt  in  onl(M'  is  ScOkxiiht  ITnub  tln'co  inilos  beyond 
tlie  Assyrian.  This  ninst  be  reacluMl  bv  llie  road,  as 
between  these  two  points  thci'e  is  an  nnln'oken  irranite 
w;ill  I'l  i<x  up  straiirhr,  from  the  soa.  The  walk  to 
Schooner  Head,  like  all  these  walks,  abonnds  with 
int<'rest.  It  runs  alon<^  tlu^  eastern  side  of  Newjtort 
^lonntain,  whose  hoary  elill!->  look  down  in  such  sol- 
emn ""randenr.  and  comes  out  ihrouiih  a  fine  i^rove  of 
birches  to  the  head  of  a  c;)ve.  Schooner  Head  is  a 
noble  clilf  cl()s(j  by  the  entrance  of  this  cove.  It  is 
probablv  not  so  hi<di  as  the  next  headland  northward, 
l»ut  all  ihinix^  cond)ine  to  make  it  more  attractive;.  It 
takes  its  n:ime  from  the  fact  that  on  its  sea-face  there; 
is  a  mass  of  white  rock  which,  when  \i(!wed  at  the 
j)ro[ter  distance,  pi'esents  the  a])i;carance  of  a  small 
.M^hoojier.  Indeed,  there  is  a  tradition  that  in  tlu;  war 
of  1(S  I  2  a  l>riti>h  fi'ii^ate  sailini:  bv,  ran  in  and  lired 
n')o:i  it,  the  captain  thinkiuix  it  was  an  American  vessel. 
This  is  not  at  all  unlikely,  tor  one  day  when  approach- 
iii"'  the  coast  in  a  steamer,  mv  attention  was  directed 
to  that  "little  vessel  sailini;  so  close  to  the  clill's." 
'i'his  was  at  least  a  \ery  ij-ood  \  indication  of  the  name. 

Here  is  t(»  be  f  )un<l  what  is  known  as  (he  Spout in<^ 
Horn.  It  is  [I  l)r(!a<l  chasm  in  the  clilV  opening'  part 
way  down  to  the  water  on  the  east,  with  a  low  arch- 
way on  the  south   side  at  the  bottom  cennnunicaling 


r  n^ 


134 


BcacJi  Rambles, 


If     I 


with  the  sea.  At  low  water  there  is  a  slippery  and 
(laiiirernus  descent  to  the  arch,  thronj^h  wliich  it  is 
possible  to  pass,  and  then  climb  fifty  or  sixty  feet, 
escaping  from  this  horrible  place  at  the  top.  When 
the  tide  is  rising,  the  waves  drive  in  throngh  the  arch, 
with  great  fury  ;  and  in  severe  storms  the  force  is 
such  as  to  send  up  the  water  above  the  mouth,  s[)Out- 
ins  like  an  Icelandic  irevser. 

This  is  a  place  where  in  climbing  every  one  should 
move  with  the  greatest  caution ;  for  woe  to  the  hapless 
wight  who  slips  wh'?n  crawling  through  the  dark  and 
slimy  arch.  The  boiling  surf  will  suck  him  down  into 
depths  from  whence  he  would  never  rise.  The  climb 
has  its  grim  attractions,  and  young  ladies  even  some- 
times go  through  the  Horn  ;  yet  most  persons  con- 
clude that  it  is  better  to  keep  in  a  safe  seat  and  watch 
the  billowy  sea. 

A  fine  day  is  generally  given  to  these  rambles,  but 
stormy  weather  is  the  best.  At  such  times  there  is  a 
wierd  attraction  about  the  sea-side.  Button  up  your 
I'ubber  coat,  therefore,  to  the  chin,  tie  on  a  tarpaulin, 
and  a'o  forth  with  your  staff,  breastins;  the  storm. 
The  investment  will  be  found  to  pay.  The  lush  of 
gently-falling  waves  is  fine,  but  what  is  this  compared 
with  the  sea  in  a  storm,  telling  its  angry  thought  to 
tliese  mighty  cliifs,  and  pouring  all  its  wrath  against 
their  granite  sides  ?  The  memory  of  sucii  a  day  is 
enduring.  Many  an  odd  character  is  also  met  in  these 
driving  storms.     AVhichever  way  the  gale  may  como 


Beach  Rambles. 


135 


it  always  sends  such  to  tlie  shore.  Besides,  there  is 
ever  a  chance  of  a  wreck,  or  at  least  of  a  liair-bi-eadth 
escape.  IIow  fine  is  the  spectacle  of  a  shii)  strugirling 
on  a  lee  shore,  and  how  terrible  wlien  it  becomes 
a:)parent  that  Death  is  on  board.  Sometimes  one  may 
lend  a  helping  hand,  while  often  he  finds  himself  in 
need  of  aid. 

In  the  cove  the  fishermen  have  their   boat-houses, 
and  from   thence  that  go  forth  to   set  their  nets  and 
trawls.     At  one  of  their  huts  was  a  shark's  l)ack-bone 
fourteen  feet  long,  drying  in  the  sun.     Passing  around 
this  place,  along  southward  of   the  cove,   we    come 
to  the  Mermaid's   Cave,  an  enormous  den   formed  by 
projecting  ledges.      Two   or   three   hundred    persons 
could  here  find  room.     At   high  water  the   waves  go 
thundering  in  to   its  farthest  recess.     It  is  tlie  truest 
cave  on   the  island,  and  besides  it  contains  the  linest 
aquarium  mortal   ever  beheld.     Here   is  a  wealth  of 
anemones    that    Cnvsus    and    Dives   could   not   buy. 
They  appear  in  all  the  richest  hues  in  their  rock-pool 
parlors,  floored  with  a  hard,  limy  substance,  in   color 
a  delicate  pink.     Transferred  to  "Ncw  York,  it  would 
prove  of  fabulous  value.     But  this  an  institution  that 
cannot  flourish  in  the  full  light  of  day.     It  prospers 
best    in    the    shady    '^  caves    and    womby   vaultages." 
Near  the  edge  of  the  cave,  wnere  the  sunlight  strikes, 
the  pools  were  without  an  iidiabitant;    vet  where  the 
light  was  properly  adai)ted,  the  colony  was  numerous. 
Hero  these  exquisite  creatures,  resem],]ing  some  rare 


13^ 


Beach  Rambles. 


flower,  live  and  die  without  moving  from  the  spot 
to  which  tliey  are  attached.  They  do  not  seem  to 
know  any  fear,  and  are  as  wilHnn-  to  be  fed  as  a 
chicken,  though  when  you  put  your  finger  in  their 
cup-like  moutlis,  they  will  fasten  upon  it  with  their 
tentacles.  Their  homes  are  exquisitely  fitted  up  with 
a  variety  of  dclicately-fronded  moss  of  all  colors,  with 
sea  lettuce  and  p>ale  green  sponge. 

It  would  prove  unfortunate,  however,  to  be  caught 
here  by  the  tide  ;  and  at  the  iiood,  as  the  waves  come 
rolling  towards  the  entrance,  they  often  give  a  start, 
those  who  likened  the  cave  to  the  home  of  Polyphe- 
mus now  thinking  that  they 


"  Sec  C3CI0PS  stalk  from  rock  to  rock, 
And  tromblo  at  tlioir  footsteps'  shock." 

Accordingly  they  leave  its  si)lendid  pools  and  get  out 
as  fast  as  possible. 

Our  next  ramble  is  to  Great  Head,  the  finest 
headland  on  the  island,  and  the  highest,  it  has  been 
said,  between  Cape  Cod  and  New  Brunswick.  It  lies 
a  sliort  mile  beyond  Schooner  Head,  and  is  reached 
by  the  same  road.  Approaching  the  Head,  we  have  a 
iine  view  of  Newport's  southern  end  descending  to 
j)hinge  into  the  sea.  High  up  on  the  ledges  are  the 
nibbling  sheep,  foraging  among  the  closely-cropped 
grass.  Reaching  the  farm-house,  most  persons  here 
leave  their  carriages,  though  the  road  extends  some 
distance  farther  into  the  woods.    The  way  is  perfectly 


Beach  Rambles. 


^Z7 


plain.  Tlie  left-hand  track  leads  by  a  gradual  ascent 
dii-ectly  to  the  Head.  The  woods  are  here  and  there 
largely  sprinkled  with  line  old  birches.  Arrivino-  at 
the  highest  point,  a  view  is  had  far  and  wide  of^thc 
grand  old  ocean,  while  landward  rise  llie  mountains. 
Ihis  whole  i)eninsula  recently  became  the  property 
ofa  PhihKhdphia  family  that  has  a  ta  ,te  for  landed 
ti-ifles.  Among  their  ehects,  it  is  said,  is  an  islet  in 
Lake  Superior,  and  a  snow-peak  in  the  Swiss  Alps. 
But  Great  Head  need  not  feel  ashamed  of  itself  in 
any  com|)anv. 

In  one  place  there  is  a  rough  and  steep  descent 
nearly  to  the  water,  while  in  another  a  sheer  wall 
leans  forward,  threateningly,  over  the  sea.  \\y  de- 
scending the  former  a  fmc  view  of  the  face  of  the  cliff 
is  had  ;  while  a  little  way  west,  just  below  the  gulch 
sprinkled  with  white  rocks,  is  a  cyclopcan  den  called 
Stag  Cave,  from  the  resemblance  to  a  stng  which  the 
imagination  may  easily  conjure  up  wlil-n  looking 
steadily  upon  some  intrusions  of  milky  quartz  in  the 
side  of  the  wall. 

Visitors  are  fond  of  coming  to  Great  Head  again 
and  again  to  spend  the  whole  day  in  sauntering  IVom 
point  to  point,  catching  each  new  expression  tf  the 
clitKs;  or,  book  in  hand,  bestowing  themselves  under 
some  convenient  rock,  to  keep  one  eye  on  the  stereo- 
tyi^ed  page  and  the  other  6\\  the  changeful  deep. 

Another  fnie  ramble  is  to  Otter  Creek  Cliirs  on  the 
ocean  side  of  the  tongue   of  land   which  makes  the 


If 


i 

P. 


If 


1 


1^.8 


Beach  Rambles. 


creek.  The  otter  formerly  abounded  there,  and  hence 
the  name.  A  separate  journey  can  be  made  to  th's 
pkice  by  the  way  of  P^cho  Notch,  or  else  when  at 
Great  Head  it  may  be  reached  by  crossing  the  sandy 
beach  on  the  west  side.  The  siteciaity  at  Otter  Creek 
is  the  cliffs,  which  are  high,  rugged  and  line.  Theie 
is  moreover  a  cave  called  Thunder  Cave.  Following 
these  cliffs  down  to  the  end,  the  creek  may  be  crossed 
in  a  boat,  and  then  come  fresh  beach  rambles  to 
North-east  Harbor  and  the  mouth  of  Somes'  Sound, 
out  of  which,  Agassiz  says,  when  JMount  Desert  was 
"  a  Ti-.iniature  Spitzbergen,"  the  "  colossal  icebergs  '* 
floated  of!'  into  the  Atlantic,  "  as  they  do  now-a-days 
from  Magdelena  Bay." 

Having  reached  this  point  in  beach  rambling  it  will 
perhaps  hardly  be  profitable  to  return  by  the  same 
route.  It  will  be  better  to  take  the  North-east  Har- 
bor road  to  Somesville,  and  thence,  by  the  Mount 
Desert  road  return  home. 


FRENCHMAN'S     BAY. 


CHAP  T  E  R     X  . 

D'AuuRi  —  The   Pillars   of   IIkrcules  —  Boating  —  The 
IsLAXDS  —  Siiell-IIeaps  —  Antiquities  —  Moose. 

RENCHMAN'S  Bay  might  perliaps  be 
easily  disposed  of,  by  saying  that  here 
there  is  no  Frenchman's  Bay;  and  yet  this 
woukl  hardly  prove  a  just  proceeding. 
Besides,  a  multitude  of  witnesses  who  have  loitered  on 
its  margin  and  tossed  on  its  waves  would  rise  up  and 
declare  me  an  imposter  ;  yet,  soft  and  fair,  gentle 
Mount  Deserter,  for  there  is  nevertheless  somewhat  to 
say. 

The  common  story  runs,  as  Williamson  reports  it 
in  his  History  of  Maine,  that  the  name  of  French- 
man's Bay  was  given  to  these  waters,  for  the  reason 
that  a  French  ecclesiastic,  Nicholas  d'Aubri,  was  lost 
here  on  an  island.  He  refers  to  Sullivan,  who  tells 
the  story  with  the  important  difference  that  he  locates 
the  scene  on  ihe  west  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
which  Champlain  says  was  named  Frenchman's  Bay 
by  De  Monts,  though  not  on  account  of  d'Aubri's 
adventure.     This  happened  on  Long  Island,  on  the 


f  I 

1      v 


I 


140 


FrcucJimaiis  Bay. 


east  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fiiiidy.  At  v}  somewliat  early 
(late  the  original  name  appears  to  have  been  lost  sight 
of.  It  was  afterwards  revived,  and  applied  to  the 
wrong  place,  the   story   of  d'Auhri  being  imported  to 


(1) —  Willinmson,  in  his  confused  statement,  refers  for  an  autliority 
to  .Sullivan,  and  Sullivan  refers  to  Abbe  IJaynal  and  C'arlier,  neiflier 
of  whom  say  anytliing  about  it.  'J'he  Abbe  (Vol.  V.  p.  844,  Eng.  Kd. 
1798)  simply  mentions  the  fact  that  tliepresent  15av  ot  Tundy  Mas  iirst 
called  Frenchman's  Hay.  In  trulli  there  is  no  authority  for  the  notion 
that  the  bay  received  its  name  fiom  the  adventure  ol  d'Aubri.  C'ham- 
p'ain  in  ...j  Voyages  (I'aris  Kd.  1G13,  p]).  13,  19)  distinctly  says  that 
the  bay  \vas  named  by  De  Monts.  lie  briefly  mentions  the  affair  of 
d'Aubri,  but  his  language,  as  in  the  case  of  Lescarbot,  sliows  that  the 
bay  was  known  as  "/a  (jvamle  baye  I'lancoise,"  before  tlic  adven- 
ture took  place.  The  account  of  d'Aubri  lias  been  so  poorly  stated, 
that  it  may  be  well  here  to  give  the  version  of  Lescarbot,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  Erondclle,  whoee  translation  is  now  so  rare: 

"  Ilauing  soiornod  there  some  12  or  18  dales,  a  strange  accident 
hapned,  such  as  I  will  tell  you.  ''"here  was  a  certain  [Koman]  Church- 
man of  a  good  familic  in  I'aris,  that  had  a  desire  to  perfoimc  tho 
\o\t\gc  whh  Monaieiw  IJe  Moiits,  ni\(\  {hat  against  the  liking  of  his 
friends,  who  sent  expressly  to  Ilonjlcur  to  diuert  hiir  .herof,  and  to 
bring  him  backc  to  Paris.  The  Ships  lying  at  anker  in  the  said  I?ayo 
of  ,Sai?j^  ilAa7'2e,  ho  put  himself  in  company  with  some  that  went  to 
sjjort  themselues  in  the  woods.  It  came  to  i)asse  that  hauing  staled  to 
drinke  at  abrookc,  hcc  lorgat  there  his  sword  and  followed  on  his 
way  with  his  companie:  which  when  lice  peiceiued  heo  returned 
backc  to  sceke  it:  but  hauing  found  it,  forgetful  from  what  part  ho 
came,  and  not  considering  whether  he  should  go  East  or  West,  or  oth- 
erwise (for  there  was  no  path)  be  took  his  way  quite  contrario,  turn- 
ii»g  his  backc  from  his  companie,  and  so  long  traueHed  that  l:e  found 
himselfe  at  tho  seashoare,  where  no  ships  were  to  bo  seen  (for  they 
were  at  the  other  side  of  a  nooke  of  land  farre  reaching  into  the  sea), 
he  imagined  ho  was  forsaken,  and  began  to  bewailo  his  fortune  vpon 
a  rockc.  Tho  night  being  come,  cuery  one  being  I'ctired,  he  is  found 
uauting:  hcc  was  asked  for  of  those  who  had  beenc  in  tho  woods, 
they  report  in  what  maner  ho  departed  from  them,  and  that  since 
they  had  no  ncwes  of  him.    Whereupon  a  rrotcstant  was  charged  to 


FrencJunan  s  Bay. 


141 


Mount  Desert  at  the  same  time.  We  might  therefore 
be  excused  for  saying  that  here  there  is,  properly,  no 
such  thing  as  Frenchman's  15ay.  "  Mount  l)e,-ert 
Bay"  would  perhaps  be  a  more  lltting  name.  The 
statement    of    Sullivan  that   "there    were,  anciently. 


tho 
Ilia 
d  to 
>nyo 
lit  to 
ed  to 
Ills 
rued 
t  ho 
oth- 
urn- 
ouud 
they 
?ea). 
vpon 
ound 
ods, 
inco 
d  to 


?4 


i 


f.-l 


'4 
i 


P 
^ 


^ 


liauo  killed  him,  because  they  quanelled  sonic  times  for  matters  of 
Keligion.  Finally,  they  sounded  a  trumpet  Ihrou  the  forest,  they 
shot  off  the  Canon  diners  times,  but  in  vaine:  for  the  roaring  of  tlio 
Sea,  stronger  than  all  that,  did  expell  backo  the  soui;d  ot  the  said 
Canons  and  trumpets.  Two,  three  and  foure  dales  jiasse,  he  aj)p('ar- 
eth  not.  In  the  nieanc  while  the  time  hastens  to  depart,  .'o  liauirg 
taried  so  long  that  he  was  then  held  for  dead,  they  weighed  aukeis  to 
go  further,  and  to  see  the  depth  of  a  bay  that  hath  some  40  leagues 
lengt.i,  and  14  (yea  IS)  of  bredth,  which  was  named  La  liaije  Fran- 
coise,  or  the  French  IJaye." 

Thus  tho  poor  wreteii  was  abandoned  to  his  fate,  and  finally  the 
sliips  went  to  St.  Croix  and  jjicpared  to  s])end  the  winter.  l>ut  in 
tho  meanwhile  Chaniplain  was  "  sent  baeke  to  the  Uay  of  t^aint  3Iary 
with  a  ^liiie-linder  that  had  been  carried  thither  ibr  to  get  some 
mines  of  siluer  and  Iron."  And  it  is  related  that  as  they  crossed  th^ 
"  French  IJaie,  they  entred  into  the  said  Baie  of  .Saint  Marie,  by  a  nar- 
row strait  or  passage,  which  is  between  the  land  of  I'oit  Iloyal  and 
an  Island  called  the  Long  Isle  :  wheie  after  some  abode  the  said  Aiibri 
[tho  lost  man]  pcrceavcd  them  and  began  with  a  feeble  voice  to  call 
as  loud  as  he  could;  and  for  to  help  his  voice  ho  advised  himself  to 
doe  as  Ariadne  did  herctol'orc  to  lltcseus, 

CnndiiJaqxie  imposui  longm  velamina  Viryoc, 
Scilicet  ohlitos  admonitur  a  mei. 

For  he  put  his  handkcicher,  and  his  hat  on  a  staues  end,  which  made 
liim  better  to  be  knowen.  For  as  one  of  them  heard  the  voice,  and 
asked  the  rest  of  the  companie,  if  it  might  be  tlie  said  Monsieur  Aithri 
they  mocked  &  laughed  at  it.  Bvt  after  they  had  spied  ti;e  mouing 
of  the  handkercher  and  of  tlio  hat,  then  they  began  to  think  that  it 
might  be  bee.  And  coming  neere,  they  knew  perfectly  it  was  hini- 
eelfe,  and  tooke  hiin  in  tlieir  IJarke  with  great  joy  and  contentment 
the  sixteenth  day  after  ho  had  lost  himKell." 


142 


Frenchman  s  Bay, 


I 


many  French  settlements  on  tliat  part  of  the  hay, 
wliich  is  opposite  to  the  hanks  of  Mount  Desert,  as 
well  as  on  the  island  itself,"  is  a  gratuitous  asser- 
tion, which  has  no  foundation  in  fact.  The  only 
ancient  settlement  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge, 
was  that  of  St.  Savior,  in  IGlo. 

Still,  what's  in  a  name?  If  we  were  to  send  the 
name,  "  Frenchman's  Bay,"  to  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
where  it  belongs,  these  waters  would  not  appear 
brighter  nor  the  sky  more  blue.  Therefore,  while 
repudiating  Williamson's  stale  story  of  d'Aubri,  we 
we  will  take  the  present  cognomen,  cum  grano  salts, 
which  is  to  say,  with  a  little  salt  sprinkled  on  it. 

Having  now,  as  Mr.  Oldstyle  said,  discharged  "a 
duty  to  history,"  we  may  look  about  us  and  observe 
the  characteristics  of  this  body  of  water,  which,  in 
some  respects,  is  finer  than  the  waters  around  the  out- 
side of  South-west  Harbor. 

Frenchman's  Bay  is  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  long 
and  seven  or  eight  wide.  At  its  mouth  is  Schoodic 
Point,  which  rises  as  it  retreats  from  the  water,  ter- 
minating in  that  barren  peak  known  as  Schoodic 
Mountain.  According  to  the  estimate  of  the  Coast 
Survey  it  is  four  hundred  and  thirty-seven  feet  high. 
Its  great  compeer,  Newport,  stands  opposite  at  the 
west  side.  Together  they  form  the  Pillars  of  Hercu- 
les at  Mount  Desert.  Inside  of  Schoodic  Point  is 
Ironbound  Island,  while  some  distance  to  the  north 
are  the    Goldsborough    Mountains.      Beyond  is  the 


Frenchman  s  Bay, 


143 


town  of  Sullivan,  and  at  the  head  of  the  bay  is  Tren- 
ton. Another  reach  of  the  bay  extends  in  a  nortlierly 
direction  to  receive  the  Skillings  Kiver,  where  at  low 
tide  there  is  a  considerable  fall.  At  high  water  a 
large  vessel  may  safely  descend,  though  not  long 
since  a  schooner  broke  loose  from  above  at  about  half- 
tide,  and  in  shooting  tho  fall  rolled  over  and  snapped 
off  her  masts.  Towards  the  entrance  of  the  bay, 
opposite  Bar  Harbor,  lie  the  Porcu[)ine  Islands.  Be- 
sides these  there  are  no  islands  worth  mentioning, 
except  several  that  lie  close  to  the  eastern  shore. 
Between  Newport  and  Ironbound  is  the  best  lishing, 
while  the  sailing  and  boating  are  excellent  every- 
where. 

Yachts  of  various  sizes  are  always  in  readiness  for 
a  voyage,  and  every  day  they  may  be  seen  scudding 
to  and  fro.  We  frequently  went  in  the  Dolphin,  a 
fine  large  slooo,  with  snow^y  sails,  whose  careful  skip- 
per had  ploughed  tjie  deejD  for  thirty  years,  and  knew 
every  inch  of  ground  from  Cape  Cod  to  West  Quoddy. 
With  a  stiff  breeze  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  the  Dol- 
phin walk  the  water,  bound,  say,  for  the  Ovens.  In 
these  little  voyages  we  learned  as  much  about  the 
island  as  the  bay,  and  at  every  hundred  yards  the 
former  put  on  some  new  expression.  A  mile  out  from 
Bar  Harbor  it  appeared  in  brave  greenery,  all  the 
hills  verdant  to  their  summits,  while  up  the  bay  to- 
wards the  north,  this  character  would  gradually  be- 
come lost,  and  finally  in  swinging  around  the  shore 


144 


FrcncJivians  Bay. 


the  mountains  themselves  wonld  disappear.  It  is, 
liowever,  the  more  beautiful  to  \)\\\\\i  them  back 
again.  At  one  point,  near  the  Ovens,  all  that  can  he 
seen  is  the  blue  peak  of  Xewpoi't,  but  gradually  the 
wlioh}  height  comes  forth,  having  a  perfect  pyramidal 
form.  Then  Green  Mountain  rises,  and  iinallv  the 
distant  ridi^c  of  Sargent  comes  in  view  ;  and  wlien  we 
sail  in  between  liar  Island  and  AVheeler's  Porcupine, 
Newport  is  no  longer  a  blue  filmy  cloud,  but  appeal's 
bef(jre  us  in  all  its  wild  b^autv. 

There  ui'e  many  localities  of  especial  interest  around 
the  bay.  Each  of  the  islands  has  some  peculiar 
attraction.  On  Bar  Island,  already  mentioned,  may 
be  had  line  rand)les  and  views  of  the  mountains. 
The  anti(piarian  <'an  here  hnd  Indian  shell-heajis  that 
will  r(^pay  the  labor  of  investigation.  Frc.m  this 
])lace  I  broui»ht  awav  some  airow-heads  dui;-  out  of 
the  refuse  of  these  aboriiiinal  kitchens;  also  some 
teeth  of  the  black  bear,  linelv  enamelled,  tomMher 
with  part  of  the  jaw.  On  the  next  island  is  an  inter- 
esting iishing  station,  occnpie(l  in  U)e  snnnner  by  veiy 
intelligent  and  respectable  jn'ople  iVom  Trenton.  On 
the  pretty  little  island  adjoining,  called  tin*  Thumb- 
Caj),  is  another  station.  Teyond  is  the  Burnt  I*orcu- 
pine,  while  the  last  in  the  chain  is  the  Great  Porcu- 
pine. On  this  island,  \wav  the  south  si<le,  there  has 
been  some  search  for  Kidd's  treasure  in  years  jiast. 
The  most  delightful,  liowever,  to  visit  is  Wheeler's. 
It  is  of  great  height,  and  aflbrds  the   linest  view   of 


V     I 


Frcac/iJfian's  Bay. 


145 


Newport  that  is  to  1)G  had  fi-om  tlio  bay.  and  whicli  is 
a  favorite  view  witli  artists.  Tlio  clifVs  in  tliis  island 
have  often  been  sketched,  and  in  tlie  liandsof  a  skilful 
jiainter  ai'c  capable  of  great  effect.  Take  a  snnny 
dav  for  a  stroll  lierc.  and  vo-a  uill  fix  a  ])ictnre  in  the 
memory  that  will  endure. 

Three  or  four  years  since  a  bear  from  tlic  mainland 
swam  over  to  this  island,  liavinix  a  mind  to  ti-y  a  little 
mutton.  As  it  turned  out,  he  did  the  sheep  no  harm  ; 
for  the  people  discovered  what  was  going  on  and 
translated  ]>ruin  into  steaks.  At  present  there  are  no 
bears  on  ^Mount  Desert,  ihouizh  a  man  at  l^ar  Harbor 
assured  me  positively  that  one  lately  followed  him  on 
the  road  near  Duck  Ih'ook. 

In  order  to  see  the  clilfs  to  the  best  ad\antage,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  row  under  them  in  a  small  boat. 
This  is  perfectly  safe,  even  with  a  heavy  swell  run- 
nine:,  if  you  have  command  of  the  oars.  And  when 
out  it  vill  be  well  to  visit  the  other  island  clitl's,  if 
possible,  as  they  possess  features  worth  studying. 

The  clilfs  on  the  sea-side  of  Iron-bound  retpiire  a 
special  voynge,  and  sails  will  be  better  than  oars. 
Tlie  clitrs  here,  as  dill's,  are  su])erior  to  those  on  the 
shores  of  ]Mount  Desert,  though  inaccessible  to  rnm- 
biers.  On  the  same  trip,  if  the  wind  is  fair,  many 
persons  run  across  to  Schooner  Head  and  go  home  by 
the  -way  of  the  shore  cliffs,  the  interest  of  which  never 
wearies.  Approaching  Cromwell's  Cove,  running 
close  in,  the  Assyrian  may  be  distinctly  seen,  thou<'h 


ill    i 

if 


146 


Frenchman  s  Bay, 


1^  :       : ! 


!    I 


arriving  in  front  lie  mysteriously  vanishes,  and  appears 
to  sink  into  the  wall. 

One  of  the  pleasant  trips  is  that  to  Goklshorough, 
by  which  we  gain  a  somewhat  rear  a  iew  of  its  com- 
manding hills.  Here  is  a  pretty  harbo-'  which  is  most 
easily  entered  at  high  water.  The  village  has  a  pleas- 
ant aspect,  but  looks  down  sleepily  from  the  hill-side. 
The  entrance  of  the  Dolphin  ^^ith  flying  colors, 
brought  only  a  single  individual  down  to  quay,  besides 
a  couple  of  fishermen — one  a  C  hicf  Justice — who  had 
been  spending  a  day  looking  after  the  trout.  Their 
basket  was  so  well  filled  with  fine  fish  that  one  hardly 
need  to  fear  recommending  the  waters  of  this  vicinage 
to  those  who  may  be  piscatorially  inclined.  At  Golds- 
borough,  however,  the  chief  interest  gathers  around 
the  shell-heaps,  the  relics  of  multitudinous  dinners 
eaten  during  the  old  times  by  the  Indians  who  dwelt 
around  the  harbor.  These  shell-heaps  are  often  sev- 
eral feet  deep,  and  sometimes  cover  acres  of  ground. 
The)^  arc  mixed  more  or  less  with  earth  and  ashes, 
and  contain  antiquities  such  .as  arrow-heads,  stone 
hatchets  and  chisels,  together  with  pieces  of  rude  pot- 
tery, and  the  bones  of  birds  and  animals  tliat  were 
used  as  food.  At  the  mouth  of  the  harbor,  the  banks 
on  either  side  are  whitened  by  them.  A  sort  of  clam- 
rake  with  long  teeth  is  the  best  thing  to  use  in  turning 
over  the  shells.  In  heaps  like  these  may  be  found 
the  bones  of  the  moose,  the  deer  and  the  bear,  with 
those  of  birds.     The   smaller   l)ones   are   sometimes 


Frcnchinan  s  Bay. 


147 


llam- 
[ning 

)und 
kvith 

imes 


worked  into  large  needles  or  bodkins,  of  which  the 
Indians  often  had  need.  These  are  all  the  memorials 
h^ft  by  tlie  once  jiowerful  race  tliat  rnled  on  tliese 
beautiful  shores.  Their  arts  were  simjjle  and  few. 
In  the  Indian  museums  of  New  EnMand,  we  find  no 
sculptures  to  speak  of  tliat  can  be  attributed  to  the 
Aborigines.  I  have  seen  on  the  liandle  of  a  pestle 
used  to  pound  corn  sometliing  that  resembles  the  head 
of  a  snake,  and  in  the  collection  at  Harvard  I^niver- 
sitv,  now  beinij  constantly  added  to  by  the  zealous 
and  well-directed  labors  of  Professor  Wynian,  who 
lias  it  in  charije,  there  is  a  small  imiiuc  of  stone. 
Perhaps  this  is  the  same  that  AVhittier  celebrates  in 
one  of  his  poems  as  a  relic  of  the  Northmen.  This, 
with  the  exception  of  a  fine  amulet,  carved  in  steatite, 
and  found  at  Cape  Cod,  is  the  only  sculi)ture  of  the 
human  form  that  I  have  been  able  to  trace  to  the 
natiyes  on  this  part  of  the  eastern  coast. 

Amonjx  the  remains  of  birds  found  in  the  shell- 
heaps  are  a  few  of  the  bones  of  the  Great  Auk.  One 
has  recently  been  uneaithed  on  this  bay  by  Professor 
"Wyman,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  a  siirht  of  it. 
The  Great  Auk  is  now  extinct,  so  far  as  these  latitudes 
are  concerned,  and  is  only  found  in  polar  regions. 
There  are  now  sixteen  or  eighteen  specimens  in  Euro- 
])ean  museums  that  must  have  been  taken  at  a  some- 
what early  date.  The  bones  of  the  Auk  tend  to 
show  that  an  arctic  climate  once  prevailed  here.  At 
the  same   time  the   Esquimaux   must  also  have   ex- 


148 


FrcncJimaii s  Bay. 


I      :' 


tenrlcd  down  this  coast.  Tlio  Icelaii(Hc  chronicles 
demonstrate,  tliat  in  the  eleventli  century,  a  people 
called  Skrallings,  who  i)ossessed  Esquimaux  habits  and 
characteristics,  and  sailed  in  skin-boats,  were  scattered 
along  the  shores  of  Massachusetts  ;  and  long  ago  they 
probably  went  northward  in  company  with  the  Great 
Auk.  AVe  do  not  find  any  relics  that  can  be  distinctly 
attributed  to  them  ;  j^et  occasionally  the  relics  found 
even  in  these  shell-heaps  furnish  hints  of  a  people 
earlier  than  the  Indians.  Sewell,  in  his  Ancient  Do- 
minion, is  very  positive,  and  after  many  investigations 
in  connection  with  the  heaps  at  Sagadahock  and  else- 
where on  this  coast,  affordinc:  unusual  r^'lics,  he  savs 
that  the  excavated  rock-embedded  kettle-bottoms  ''are 
the  work  of  an  earlier  race  than  that  which  greeted 
Gosnold  in  these  watei's.  These  people,"  lie  adds. 
"  were  a  sea-going  people,  skilled  in  navigating  the 
dee))  in  sailing  vessels,  sloop-rigged  craft — and  had 
vessels  of  copper  for  culinary  use."  What  if  these 
"sea-going  people"  were  roving  Northmen  ? 

The  bones  most  plenty  in  these  heaps  belong  to 
the  deer,  but  those  of  the  moose  are  also  found.  "We 
read  in  "  A  Brief  Relation  of  the  Discovery  and 
Plantation  of  New  England,"  bearing  date  of  1022, 
that  in  this  new  countrv  there  "  is  also  a  certain  beast 
that  the  natives  call  a  moose,  he  is  as  biix  \  led  as  an 
ox,  headed  like  a  fallow  deer,  with  a  broad  palm, 
which  he  mues  every  year,  as  doth  the  deer,  and  neck 
like  a  red  deer,  with  a  short  mane  running  down  aloLg 


Frenchman  s  Bay. 


149 


ff 


We 

and 

C.22, 

jeast 

las  an 


the  reins  of  his  back,  liis  hair  is  long  like  an  elk,  but 
esteemed  to  be  better  than  that  for  the  vSaddler's  use, 
he  hath  likewise  a  croat  bunch  han£jinij  down  under 
his  throat,  and  is  of  the  color  of  the  blacker  sort  of 
fallow  deer,  his  legs  are  long,  and  his  feet  a.^  big  as 
the  feet  of  our  oxen,  his  tail  is  lonijer  than  tlie  sinirle 
of  the  deer,  and  reacheth  almost  down  to  his  huxens, 
his  skin  maketli  very  good  buff,  and  his  llesh  is  excel- 
lent good  food,  which  the  natives  use  to  jeikiu  and 
keep  all  the  year  to  serve  their  turn,  and  so  ])roves 
very  serviceable  for  their  use."  After  freeing  his 
mind  of  this  leaden  paragraph,  the  old  writer  goes  t)n 
to  sav  :  "  There  have  been  manv  of  them  seen  in  a 
great  island  upon  the  coast,  called  by  our  jx'ople 
Blount  Mansell,  [Mount  Desert.]  whither  the  Savages 
go  at  certain  seasons  to  hunt  them;  the  manner 
whereof  is,  by  making  of  several  lires ;  and  setting 
the  country  with  people,  to  force  them  into  the  Sea, 
to  which  they  arc  naturally  addicted,  and  then  there 
are  others  that  attend  them  in  their  boats  with  bows 
and  weapons  of  several  kinds,  wherewith  they  slay 
and  take  at  their  jdeasure."  The  writer  conelu<les 
by  declaring  to  his  Ivoyal  Highness,  l*rince  (  liailes, 
to  whom  the  "Kelation"  is  dedicated,  that  "there  is 
hope  that  this  kind  of  beasts  may  be  made  serviceable 
for  ordinai'v  labor  with  art  and  industrv." 

Such  are  the  glimpses  of  Indian  life  preserved  in 
the  writinjis  of  that  da  v.  And  in  these  shell-heaps  are 
the  remnants  of  their  feasts.     Cobbet,  in  the  course 


I50 


Frcnchmaii  s  Bay. 


of  his  winter's  captivity,  may  often  liave  shivered  over 
the  old  hearth-stones  that  the  anti(|uarian  now  digs 
out. 

The  most  accessible  heaps  from  Bar  Ilarhor  are 
those  on  Bar  Island  and  at  Hull's  Cove,  and  all  of 
them  require  much  patience  and  perseverance  en  the 
part  of  the  digger,  as  the  relics  are  not  so  plenty  as 
some  suppose  ;  though  in  the  cart-track  at  the  former 
place  I  found  a  spot  where  tlie  natives  evidently  made 
their  arrows,  as  the  lialf-shaped  fragments  we:e  dug 
out  all  around  it.  The  stone  used  was  a  variety  now 
found  near  Katahdin,  from  whence  some  sav  it  was 
brought.  Going  back  to  a  period  of  three  hundred 
years  we  may  imagine  that  a  village  of  Ivcd-skins  are 
here,  and  that  still, 

"  The  old  cliicfwlio  never  more 
May  bond  the  bow  or  pull  tlic  oar, 
Smokes  gravely  in  his  AvifjAvam  door, 
Or  slowly  shapes  with  axe  ol'stor.e, 
The  arrow-head  Irom  flint  and  bone." 

Yet  this  is  only  imagination.  The  old  chief  has  gone 
forever. 


FOG    AND    ITS    EFFECTS. 

C  II  A  P  T  !•  U     XI. 

The  Air  — Sunny  Fr.vnci:  —  Tin:  Gulf  Strkam  — Fog  — 
LuiGii  Hunt  —  Mist  in  Lituraturi: — Fog  on  the 
Mountains  —  Fog  at  Sea  — The  Tiiantom  Ship. 


OMPARATIVELY  little  has  thus  far 
been  said  about  the  atmos[)here  of  Mount 
Desert.  The  most  that  has  been  written 
is  the  offspring  of  bright  weather  and  fair 
skies.  And  yet  there  are  two  aspeets  of  the  case 
that  should  be  considered  in  a  candid  estimate  of  the 
attractions  of  such  a  i)lace. 

The  great  Constable  of  France  asks  of  the  Englisii, 

"  Is  not  their  climate  I'oggy,  raw  ?  " 

Others  have  plied  the  same  query  regarding  IMount 
Desert.  The  answer  is  readily  given.  The  coast  of 
Maine  is  not  the  Azores,  nor  Cuba,  nor  Bermuda.  In 
the  winter  the  air  is  "  raw "  enough  to  suit  an  Ice- 
lander  ;  yet  in  summer  the  visitor  who  goes  with  tol- 
erable lungs  will  lind  it  bracing  and  agreeable.  The 
Doii-davs  are  an  institution  altogether  unknown.  At 
Mount  Desert  the  Canicnla  exists  only  in  the  almanac. 
The  shrilly-breathing  zephyrus  is  always  l'ii)ing  from 
the  ocean  for  the  refreshment  of  man,  the  mosquitos 


lil 

^Hl 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1    ' 
t 

1 

d. 

. 

152 


Fo^  and  Its  Effects. 


cannot  live,  except  in  the  woods,  and  thin  clothing  is 
at  a  disconnt. 

Still  it  cannot  be  said  that  there  is  always  a  perfectly 
clear  sky.  Tell  it  not  in  Gath.  })nl)lish  it  not  in  the 
streets  of  some  consumptive  .Vskelon  ;  but  we  must 
confess  that  in  this  isle,  with  all  its  enchantments,  we 
fmd  foi;.  Yet  the  reader  should  not  receive  a  wroni' 
impression  from  the  above  remark,  &ince  so  much 
depends  upon  impressions.  For  instance,  we  all  have 
an  impression  that  France  is  ''  Sunny  France ;"  hence 
it  is  not  easy  to  make  men  regard  what  liish(j[) 
Cheverus  said  as  true,  namelv,  that  thev  have  as 
many  pleasant  days  in  New  England  in  the  course  of 
a  year  as  among  the  hills  of  Lorraine  and  Languedoc. 
Yet  it  is  nevertheless  so  ;  and  the  reader  is  warned 
aiiainst  the  influence  of  anv  such  formula  as  '*  Foi:<iv 
JNIainc,"  lest  it  should  prove  impossible  to  demonstrate 
the  fact  that  the  summer  climate  of  Mount  Desert  is 
ecjual  to  the  attractive  average  claimed  for  the  entire 
region  by  the  genial  Jiishop. 

Tlie  Gulf  Stream,  llowing  out  of  the  great  tropic 
reservoir,  ploughs  northward  in  its  ancient  track, 
attended  by  a  thin,  invisible  vapor,  which,  when  it 
feels  the  cold  breath  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  is  condensed 
like  the  steam  fi-om  the  spout  of  a  teakettle,  and  n^lls 
heavily  away  from  the  lishing  IJanks  of  xSewfound- 
land  in  the  form  of  confirmed  fog,  sometimes  drench- 
ing every  hill-to[)  and  valley  along  the  coast.  JMount 
Desert  only  gets  its  due  share ;  and  so  far  from  being 
ail  objection,  it  adds  to   the  beauty  of  the  ])lace,  often 


itn 


Fog  and  Its  Effects.  i ; :; 

throwing  an  ineinible  mystery  and  cliarin  over  the 
entire  ishmd.  Indeed,  what  would  artists  do  without 
it?  How  well  it  hides  a  deformity  or  heightens  an 
effect,  let  Landseer  tell  us  iu  pictures  of  mountain 
scenery. 

Whoever  wishes  to  become  an  admirer  of  fo.r 
should  read  Leigh  Hunt's  Essay.  In  his  own  charnT-' 
iiig  way,  he  gives  us  the  literature  of  the  subject, 
showing  the  splendid  use  that  Ossian  makes  of  it,  how 
Homer  and  Virgil  introduce  their  gods  alid  goddesses 
wreathed  in  its  glories,  and  how  Jupiter  shrouded  the 
Vale  of  Temi)e  with  fog  t6  hide  his  amour  with  lo. 

It  is  to  1)0  confessed  that  Shaksi)eare  was  not  in 
love  with  England's  fog,  yet  L(Mgh  Hunt  goes  into 
ecstacies  over  its  eft'ect  when  charged  ui)on  of  an  ("ve- 
iling by  the  gasliglit  in  London  streets,  an  eflect  which 
he  thinks  worth  mentioning  in  connection  with  the 
fine  idea  of  Khodius,  who,  after  bewildering  the  Ar-(„ 
iiauts  in  the  fog,  brings  down  Apollo  with  his  bcTw, 
in  answer  to  their  prayer,  to  shoot  a  guiding  light 
before  them  to  the  nearest  isle. 

Here,  and  everywhere,  it  forms  an  element  of  sub- 
limity, as  well  n:  of  beauty.  We  had  climbed  one 
day  to  the  top  ot  Green  3Iountain  to  view  the  splen- 
did  panorama  of  land  and  sea  offered  to  the  eye, 

••  When  suddaitily  a  grosso  fog  overspread 
Witli  \\U  dull  vapor  all  tlmt  desert  has, 
And  heaven's  chearelul  face  enveloped. 
■J'hnt  all  things  one,  and  one  as  nothing  was, 
And  this  great  universe  seemed  one  confused  mass." 


154 


Fog  mid  Its  Effects. 


I 


I  saw  sometliin;^  similar  to  this  once  when  looking 
down  from  IMount  Waslungton  into  Tuckerman's 
Kavine,  where  the  dense  fog  was  tossed  and  rolled  by 
fitful  gusts,  giving  the  appearance  of  a  boiling  ocean. 

At  Mount  Desert  we  have  an  opportunity  of  study- 
ing every  variety  of  foggy  display.  Some  days,  it  is 
to  be  confessed,  we  found  these  vapory  veils  a  sad 
annoyance.  It  was  unpleasant  when  we  had  arranged 
the  night  previous  for  a  tramp  to  Newport  and  a  day 
of  rare  enjoyment,  to  look  out  of  our  windows  in  the 
morning  and  find  that 

"  aloft  on  the  mountains 
Sea-fogs  pitched  their  tents,  and  mists  from  the  mighty  Atlantic." 

Our  friend  Aureole,  who  h.ns  already  been  fre- 
quently mentioned,  and  who  occasionally  indulged  in 
a  transcendentalism,  told  us  on  one  occasion  as  we 
stood  grumbling  on  the  piazza,  that  our  experience 
was  not  at  all  singular,  as  half  the  people  in  the  world 
were  in  the  fog  all  the  time. 

Yet  in  due  season  the  advancin<2r  dav  often  trans- 
muted  the  cause  of  our  wretchedness  and  discontent 
into  pure  poetry ;  ana  then,  when  tramping  through 
Echo  Notch,  on  the  way  to  Jordan's  Pond  or  Otter 
Creek,  Choriambus  would  call  us  to 

"  Look  down  that  dark  ravine, 
And  watch  the  white  and  swittly-climbing  mist, 
liOlling  in  silence  up  the  narrow  llssuro 
lietween  those  rugged,  black,  forbidding  rocks, 
Like  troops  of  angels  climbi  ig  fearlessly 
Into  a  dark  and  rough  and  hardened  soul;" 


Fog  and  Its  Effects. 


155 


or    else   notify   the    less    imaginative   portion    of   the 
tranipers  of  the  all-important  fact,  that 

"  From  the  hills 
White  bridal  veils  of  mist  \vere  lilted  up 
liy  the  guy  .sun,  who  kij>sod  them  till  they  blushed 
With  light  and  joy,"— 


ns- 
mt 

ter 


a  quotation  pa'ticularly  enjoyed  by  the  young  huliei^. 
We  never  failed  to  notice  the  fine  illusions,  nor 
neglect  the  mysterious  antics  played  by  the  mist  far 
out  at  sea.  Here  is  where  it  is  most  effective  in  its 
exhibitions  of  magic.  Sometimes,  in  a  clear  day, 
when  not  a  sail  can  be  seen  in  tlie  whole  oiruiii;,  a 
great  breath  comes  from  the  Grand  Bank,  spreading 
over  the  horizon  a  thin  film  of  vapor,  and  suddenly  a 
whole  fleet  a^ipears  sailing  upon  the  sea.  "Whence 
come  they  ?  The  philosopher  tells  us  that  a  ray  of 
light  passing  from  a  rare  medium  to  a  dense  one,  is 
bent  downward  ;  hence  we  always  see  the  sun  before 
he  is  really  up.  A  slightly  dissimilar  operation  of  the 
light,  reveals,  perhaps,  under  favorable  circnmstances, 
a  fleet  of  fishiniij  vessels  that  is  nearlv  out  of  si^iht 
below  the  horizon.  Then  with  another  puff  of  the 
breeze,  the  scene  changes  and  this  same  fleet  appears 
bravely  sailing  through  the  air.  Again  the  fleet  is 
doubled,  one  tier  of  vessels  sailing  over  the  other ;  or 
else,  oddly  enough,  one  tier  bottom  up,  completely 
capsized — and  yet  securely  sailing  along  the  lower 
edge  of  a  cloud,  as  the  fly  travels,  feet  upward,  on  a 


ff 


156 


Fog  and  Its  Effects. 


I 


El    i 


ceiling.     At  the  Isles  of  Shoals  this  eflect  is  witnessed 
ofteuer  than  at  Mount  Desert.     Savs  Whittier  : 

"  Sometimes,  in  calms  of  closing?  day, 
They  wutclied  the  spectral  miia^e  phiy, 
Saw  low,  far  islands,  looming  tall  an<l  uigli, 
And  ships,  with  upturned  keels,  sail  like  a  sea  the  sky." 

As  for  the  effect  of  fog  upon  i.^lands,  we  had  a 
splendid  illustration  of  it  in  crossing  from  Grand  Me- 
nan  to  Lubec,  when  the  AYolf  islands,  lvinj>-  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  which  oidinarily, 
from  that  point,  ap|)ear  as  mere  s[)ecks  in  the  horizon, 
now  lifted  up  their  tine  rugged  clifls  far  above  the 
surface  of  the  sea.  In  several  cases  the  image  was 
even  trebled,  so  that  three  islands  appealed  one  above 
another.  As  on  the  real  island  there  were  a  number 
of  projecting  points,  these,  in  the  beautiful  economy 
of  optics,  were  elongated  into  huge  Doric  pillars,  upon 
which  the  two  upper  isles  seemed  firmly  planted,  the 
l)illars  being  displayed  between  like  the  columns  of  a 
double  gallery.  The  sight  was  almost  bewildering. 
The  skipper  said  that  he  had  often  witnessed  the  same 
thing,  but  never  saw  a  finer  efT'ect  than  this. 

Leigh  Hunt's  admiration  of  London  fog  in  the  gas- 
light has  been  alluded  to,  and  we  may  go  back  to  the 
Isles  of  Shoals  long  enough  to  speak  of  a  figure  sug- 
gested in  somewhat  the  same  connection  by  Lowell,  in 
a  poem  very  unequal  in  its  parts.  The  poem  referred 
to  is  descriptive  of  White  Island  and  the  vicinity,  and 
suiriiests  the  resemblance  between  the  huse  beams  that 


Fog  ami  Its  Effects. 


^S7 

dart  from  llio  lantoni  info  tlic  ii.ist  niwl  (l.c  nnns  of  h 
giant  read.in-  up  towards  tl.o  tower  from  the  waves. 
He  says  : 

"  And  wlionovor  the  Avholo  wciV},t  of  occnn  is  thrown 
iMill  and  lair  on  WJiito  Inland  head. 

A  f,Meat  nii.st  jotun  you  will  see, 

lAiduit  himself  up  silently 
ITiffh  and  hu-e,  o'er  the  li-hthou,'^o  top, 
W  ith  hands  of  waverin-  mist  outspread, 

(Jropinor  after  the  little  tower 

That  seems  to  shrink  and  shorten  and  cower. 
Till  the  monster's  arms  of  a  sudden  drop, 

And  silently  and  fruitlessly 

lie  sinks  again  into  the  sen." 

Tennyson  also  makes  a  good  use  of  mist,  and  illus- 
trates  its  capacity  for  scenic  efTect.     In   the  Idyls  of 
the  King,  describing  the  departure   of  Artliur  from 
the  convent,  from  wlience  he  was  seen  by  Guinevere 
the  poet  says :  ' 

"  And  even  as  ho  turn'd;  and  more  and  moro 
I  ho  moony  vapor  rolling  round  the  King 
Who  eocm'd  the  phantom  of  a  (iiant  in  it,' 
Lnwound  him  fold  by  fold,  and  made  him  grny 
And  grayer  till  himself  became  as  mist 
Before  her,  moving  ghost-likc  to  his  doom." 

A  state  of  mind  like  that  of  the  Queen's,  would  of 
course  assist  the  illusion,  yet  both  by  sunlight  and 
moonlight  the  effects  of  mist  are  often  wierd  and 
impressive  in  the  highest  degree,  especially  when  thev 
go  so  for  in  cheating  our  own  senses.  Hence  come^ 
the  notion  of  the  Flying  Dutchman  and  the  Phantom 
felnps  in  general,  which  find  many  a  true  believer 


Ill 


J58. 


Fog  and  Its  Effects, 


amoni^  tlie  old  fisliermon  of  ^Mount  Desert.  When 
the  IMiaiitom  Ship  is  seen  sailin<<  \\^,  one  of  tlie  liar- 
bors  it  is  an  evil  omen.  It  means  Death.  She  usu- 
ally comes  sweeping  in  under  a  cloud  of  canvass,  yet 
with  the  silence  of  a  fdiost.  As  she  nears  the  strand, 
familiar  forms  appear  on  the  deck,  while  the  master, 
like  some  immovable  statue,  points  with  his  finger 
towards  the  sea.  The  old  fisherman  is  perhaps  about 
to  hail,  when  a  weird  light  Hashes  around  her  masts, 
which  topple  and  fall,  while  the  swelling  sails  fade 
into  airy  nothings.  Soon,  mast,  sails,  hull  and  all, 
are  blent  in  ocean  burial.  The  old  fisherman  starts, 
rubs  his  eyes,  feels  sad  all  day,  and  remembers  it  ever 
thereafter. 

AVhittier,  who  is  so  familiar  with  the  coast,  gives  us 
a  fine  picture  of  these  fog-built  craft  in  his  poem  of 
the  Dead  Ship  of  llarpswell,  to  which,  however,  he 
denies  a  crew . 

"  What  flecks  the  outer  gray  beyond 

The  suiulown's  golden  trail? 
Tlio  white  flash  of  a  tea-bird's  wing, 

Or  gleam  of  slanting  sail  'i 
Let  young  eyes  watch  from  Neck  and  Point, 

And  sea-worn  elders  pray, — 
The  gliost  of  what  was  once  a  ship 

Is  sailing  up  the  bay? 

From  gray  sea-fog,  from  icy  drift, 
,         From  peril  and  from  pain. 

The  homo-bound  fisher  greets  thy  lights, 

O  iiundred-harbored  Maine  I 
lint  many  a  keel  shall  seaward  turn, 

And  many  a  sail  outstand, 
Wiien.  tall  and  white,  the  Dead  Ship  looms 

Against  the  dusk  of  land. 


'"^^'BmimmmmmBmn 


Fog  and  lis  Effects. 

She  rounds  (|,c  hondland's  bristling  pines 

.S1h>  f  liroad.s  (ho  islr-H..t  bay  ; 
^'o  r.i)ur  ofbreozo  can  speed  "her  on, 

Nor  ebb  of  fide  delay. 
Old  men  still  walk  tlie  Mo  of  Orr 

Who  tell  lier  date  and  name, 
Old  siiipxvri-hfs  sit  in  rreei)ort  yards 

Who  hewed  her  oaken  frame. 

Wliat  weary  doom  of  baffled  quest, 

Thou  sad  sea-;,'host.  is  thine? 
What  makes  thee  in  the  haunts  of  home 

A  wonder  and  a  sign? 
No  foot  is  on  thy  silent  deck. 

Upon  thy  helm  no  hand; 
No  ri,)pieliath  the  ^cundlews  wind 
That  smites  thee  Irom  ihe  land! 

For  never  comes  the  sln'p  to  port 

Ilowe'er  the  breeze  may  be; 
Jn^t  when  she  nears  the  uaiti'n;?  sliore 

She  drifts  again  to  sea. 
No  tack  ot  sail  nor  turn  of  helm, 

Nor  sheer  of  veering  side; 
Stern-lore  she  drives  lo  sea  and  night 

Against  tlio  wind  and  tide. 

In  vain  o'er  Ilarpswell  Xeck  the  star 

Of  evening  guides  lierin; 
In  vain  for  her  tlie  lamps  are  lit 

Within  tliy  tower,  Seguin  ! 
In  vain  the  harbor-boat  siiall  hail, 

In  vain  the  pilot  call; 
No  hand  shall  reef  lier  spectrni  sail, 

Or  let  her  anchor  tail. 

Shake,  brown  old  wives,  with  drcarvjoy, 

Your  gray-head  hints  of  ill; 
And,  over  sick-beds  whisjjering  low, 

Your  projdiecies  ful/il. 
Some  home  amid  von  birclien  troca 

Shall  drape  its  door  with  woo; 
And  slowly  where  the  Dead  .Ship  sails, 

The  burial  boat  shall  row! 


159 


i6o  Fog  and  Its  Effects. 

From  Wolf-Xrck  aiul  from  Flying- Point, 

From  island  juul  from  niain, 
From  sliellerod  cove  and  tidtd  creek, 

Sliall  f^lidc  the  luneral  train. 
The  dead-boat  with  the  bearers  four. 

The  mourners  at  her  stern, — 
And  one  sliall  go  tlie  silent  way 

Who  sliall  no  more  leturn  I 

And  men  sliall  sigh,  and  women  weep, 

Whoso  dear  ones  pale  and  pine, 
And  sadly  over  sunset  seas 

Await  the  ghostly  sign. 
They  know  not  that  its  sails  are  filled 

l'»y  pity's  tender  breath, 
Is'or  SCO  the  Angel  at  the  lielm 

Who  steers  the  Ship  of  Death  !" 

This,  I  believe,  is  quite  an  ortliodox  jiicture  of  tlie 
Plumtom  Sliip,  wliicli  still  occasionally  sails  into  these 
harbors,  in  foixirv  weather,  to  announce  that  some  lonir 
missing  vessel  has  been  buried  in  the  deep.  To  deny 
that  the  IMiantom  Ship  was  ever  seen,  would,  in  some 
quartern  at  least,  be  denounced  as  heresy.  IJesides, 
why  need  we  doubt  it'  Sit  on  the  rocks  at  Great 
Head  and  watch,  and  you  may  see  one  of  these  unsul)- 
stantial  craft  almost  any  day.  Talking  about  this 
matter  on  one  occasion  among  the  clifls  at  tlie  above- 
mentioned  place.  Mr.  Oldstyle  generalized  the  sid>ject 
somewhat  after  the  style  of  Aureole,  tellii'ij  us  that 
it  was  not  the  fisherman  alone  who  was  led  by  ])han- 
toms  ;  that  life  itself  was  one  long  inirafje  and  i'ull  of 
unreal  appearances  shaped  out  of  the  fogs  of  the  soul : 
while  the  ever-ready  Choriambus  chimed  in  with  a 
Persian  verse  : 


Fog-  and  Its  Effects.  i6i 

"  From  Iho  mists  oftho  oconii  ofTnitl,  in  tl.o  skies, 
A  Mlrnfje  in  dolmlii.s  ivtlfctions  ,l„tl,  rise\ 
There  is  naught  but  reality  there  to  be  seen, 
AVe  Iiave  here  but  the  Vw  ut  its  vapory  ^heen." 

As  we  rose  up  f,Y,m  our  seat  ou  tl.e  rocks,  a  stron<^ 
I'l-eeze  swept  up  from  tl.e  souil,,  dispellino-  all  tlu^se 
^veu•(l  illusions  of  the  foo-  tl.at  Iiovered  aloiio-  ,l,e  l,ori- 
zon,  rolliucr  -nvay  great  iielcls  of  vapor,  and  leavin.r 
nothmo-  hefure  us  but  tlie  open  sea.  Returning  ju.nu- 
ward,  I  Jicard  Clioriandais,  who  just  then  ^walked 
slightly  ai.art,  murnu.rino-,  half  unconsciously,  those 
well  known  lines  from  The  Tempest: 

"  These    *       «       * 

Are  melted  into  air,  into  thin  air: 

And.  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  this  vision 

The  cIoud-cai.pM  towers,  the  porgeous  palaces, 

The  solemn  temples,  the  or,cat  -lobe  itself: 

Yea,  all  which  inherit,  shall  (Ii>snlve, 

And,  like  this  insubstantial  pageant  laded, 

Leiivo  not  a  rack  behind." 


rl 


!   ! 


FISH   AND    FISHER' FOLK. 


i    i'li: 


C  II  A  r  T  E  li     XII. 

Kahly  Fisiif.ries  —  Aquaria  —  Japaxkse  Lyrics  —  Wi:trs 
—  PouroiSE  —  Oil  —  Tin:  Fisiikuman's  Laxguagi:  —  His 
Famh. 

jCCORDING  to  the  Muliomctan  theory, 
the  cartli  itself  is  a  fish;  but,  wliatever 
may  be  our  o\\\\  views  on  the  subject, 
HI)  we  must  assign  to  that  order  of  creation 
a  very  large  j)ortion  of  its  inhabitants.  Fish  foi-ni 
the  fourth  class  of  vertebrate  animals,  breathing 
throuixh  uills  and  travellini;  bv  means  of  their  tails. 
Yet  some  lish,  like  those  of  Ceylon,  would  seem  to 
view  both  of  these  ai)[)endages  as  suijerlluous,  since 
they  can  live  imbedded  in  the  mud,  or,  like  monkevs, 
climl)  the  trees.  Tiie  lish  around  iMount  Desert, 
however,  are  of  a  very  proper  sort,  and  indulge  in  no 
such  eccentricities,  but  follow  the  primal  instinct, 
sporting  exclusively  in  the  sea. 

The  Northmen  who  sailed  in  these  waters  in  the 
eleventh  century,  never  attempted  to  utilize  the  vast 
stores  of  living  wealtli  existing  in  the  deep,  yet  no 
soonei'  had  the  existence  of  the  continent  been  made 


risJi  and  rishcr-FoIk, 


iC>3 


nils, 
ill  to 
nice 

ivOVS, 

sort, 

In  no 

inct, 

the 
vast 
It   no 

Inado 


known  l>v  the  \ovai'os  of  C'aliol*  and  Cohinil)us,  tlian 
tliis  wliolc  coast  swarmed  'w  kh  li>hernKMi  iVom  tlie 
old  world.  IJut  these  llsliurineii  were  from  Ivomaii 
Catholic  countries,  while  the  self-willed,  imix'tuous 
XorthiiK'ii  knew  Christianity  onlv  by  name  and  cai-^Ml 
litthi  for  keeping  tlie  body  under  with  abstinent  iisli. 
The  season  of  Lent  was  nothiuij:  to  them.  r>ut  in 
order  to  supply  the  faithful  on  the  continent  with  tht; 
duly  i)rescribed  food,  the  sailors  of  liiscay  i-ei;ulariy 
sailed  to  these  coasts,  wliei-e,  iidini»:  at  anchor  amidst 
the  driving  gales  and  drenching  fog,  they  patiently 
hauled  up  the  rich  treasures  of  the  deep. 

We  learn  from  rnrclnis  and  llakhiyt,  that  as  early 
as  the  year  lo27  a  lame  fleet  of  lishiiiix  vessels,  one 
of  ^vhich  was  English,  liad  assenibknl  at  St.  John's, 
Ne^v  Foundland,  which  was  a  place  of  general  ren- 
dezyons  at  that  time.  Pnrchas  also  tells  ns  of  one 
old  r)asrpie  fisherman,  named  Sayelet,  who  at  an  early 
period  had  performed  no  less  than  forty  anmud  yoy- 
ajijes  to  these  distant  shores. 

When  the  American  colonies  \vcre  establislied,  the 
people  were  not  slow  to  engage  in  the  same  protitablo 
toil.  ]Men  of  eyery  grade  in  society  wove  ejirly  inter- 
ested, the  noble  as  well  as  th(»  humble  boin  ;  so  thiit 
the  rhymster  of  that  day  might  havc^  said  with  truth, 

"Tho  l)nk(>  of  Xorfollt  douls  in  malt, 
The  Duuglus  in  red  herrings." 

(11  —  Cabot  is  here  montionod  first,  in  spealdng  of  thi-<  part  of  fho 
coast,  for  tiio  reason  that  hn  hail  made  more  than  one  voyage  to  the 
continent  of  America  before  Columbus  even  saw  it. 


I 

i 


164 


Fish  and  Fis/icr-Folk, 


Tlio  people  of  Maine  and  Massacliiisetts  were  f(jre- 
most  in  tlie  business.  Tlie  inliabilants  of  Blount 
Desert  always  enjoyed  the  <i,reatest  facilities  for  car- 
rying' on  the  lislieries,  as  tlie  "round  la\'  before  llieir 
doors.  And  tliey  know  all  about  the  work.  Fuller 
said  of  liutlei",  tlu;  apiarist,  that  either  lie  had  told 
the  bee>  things,  or  th(3  bees  had  told  him.  The  same 
niiiiht  be  said  of  these  people  and  the  lisli.  Yet  there 
is  one  thinui;  evidently  ncjt  fully  understood  after  all, 
at  least  by  the  fisherman,  though  possibly  by  the  fish 
— namely,  that  the  trade  is  overworked,  or,  otherwise, 
that  thcire  is  too  much  fishing. 

That  is  a  dangerous  theory  which  holds  that  there 
ar(,'  just  as  many  fish  in  the  sea  as  ever  came  out  of  it. 
Aciing  on  this  idea,  the  fislierman  is  rapidl}'  extermi- 
nating the  denizens  of  the  sea,  as  the  hunt(n'  has 
already  destroyed  the  game  upon  the  land  ;  and  unless 
soiiKi  wiser  policy  is  adopted  for  the  regulation  of  the 
fisheries,  the  cod  may  become  as  scarce  as  deer.  On 
the  English  coast  this  fate  has  already  overtaken  the 
haddock.  ''  Where  are  the  haddocks  ?"  said  Mr.  Ber- 
tram once  to  a  Xew-ITaven  fisherman.  "  They  are 
about  all  eaten  up,  sir,"  was  his  ])rompt  reply.  The 
shore  races  of  this  fish  have  disapjieared,  and  they 
must  now  be  sought  afar  in  the  deep  water. 

This  continoencv  is  not  to  be  treated  in  an  idle 
way,  for  if  we  refer  to  the  condition  of  the  fisheries 
two  hundred  years  ami,  it  will  be  found  that  since 
then  the  tpiantity  of  fish  in  our  own  waters  lias  fallen 


FisJi  at  id  Pis  her- Folk. 


165 


off  in  an  nlarmiuix  de^roe.  Fornicrlv  ^  sliin  nii'i-lit 
be  loaded  wiili  cod  iniv\vh(;re  on  tliis  coast,  Nvliilc  the 
veiy  harbors  were  alive  with  whale  and  e\crv  species 
of  the  cetacean.  Now  to  <j;et  a  ^reat  '•fare"  of  li>h 
the  dweller  at  Monnt  De>ert  nuist  i^o  a  loiii^  Novate  ; 
while  the  hunted  Le\ialhan  leads  his  pur>ner  in  the 
chase  chieflv  anionic:  the  .Vrclic  beros.  jVlso.  on  the 
British  coast,  where  once  eii-ht;  hundred  trawl  hooks 
would  take  seven  hundred  and  fifty  fish,  now  a  line 
baited  with  four  thousand  liooks  will  sonietinies  take 
less  than  one  liundred.  And  if  so  much  has  biM-n 
done  to  exterminate  the  fish  in  tico  centuries,  whati 
mav  not  be  done  in  toi'^  Loni;  a2:o  it  was  found 
necessary  to  protect  tlie  fish  in  our  fresh  lakes  and 
mountain  streams  by  the  force  of  positive  law  ;  and 
with  the  great  future  of  our  country  before  ns,  a 
future  whose  necessities  we  cannot  bt-gin  to  estimate, 
even  thou<»h  restricted  within  tin;  limits  of  a  sinijle 
century,  who  shall  say  that  it  may  not  soon  be  neces- 
sary to  devise  some  wiser  reiiidations  for  the  prolec- 
tion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  sea  ? 

Yet  there  is  a  practical  dilliculty  now  exist itii,^  in 
relation  to  the  preservation  of  the  sea  fi>h.  It  is 
f  »und  in  the  fact  that  we  know  so  little  in  rei;ard  to 
their  habits.  AVhat  for  instance  <lo  we  know  of  the 
most  imporlant  of  the  food  lishes,  the  cod?  Next  to 
n'thinj*-.  AVe  are  even  ignorant  of  the  time  when  it 
begins  to  be  reproductive.  Yet  how  important  i>  such 
knowledge,    in   view   of  its  possible   exhaustion    and 


S 


. 


^ 


1 66 


risJi  and  Fis/ui'-Folk, 


intollii^ciit  j>i-ot('cti;)n.  ^I:r.iif('>tly  it  is  not  f)r  tlie 
iuttTcst  of  \\\i\  lisluM'iiuiu  to  iiHltilgo  in  llu;  present  iii- 
discriminjiU;  .siaiiiilitcr. 

Ill  olli(!r  hniiiclies  of  luitural  liistory  oui*  knowh'd^c 
is  extremely  full.     Whoever  takes  ini  ^Mrs.  Auassiz's 
work  on  the  Ivadiates  of  ^Massachusetts   l>a\ ,  w  ill   be 
astonished  by  the  wonderful  exactness  of  knowledire 
sliown  iiL  relation  to  the  oriijjin,  ijrowth,  and  habits  of 
this  branch  of  the  animal  kiiig<lom.    The  same  knowl- 
edge in  connection  with  our  economic  fishes  would  be 
worth   untold  sums  of  gold.     This   abun(hince  of  in- 
formal ioi  ..   howeyer,  is   readdy  explained  l)y  the  fact 
that  the      ibitats  of  the  l^adiates  are   all  within  reach, 
and  sid)ject  to  careful  observation.    Indeed,  the  pai'lor 
acpuirium,  which,  wheu  rightly  managed,  is   a   perfect 
miniature  sea,  affords  am})le  o[)portunities  for  carrying 
on  studies  of  this  kind.     On  the  other  hand,  we  have 
no   suiricient    rece[)tacle   for   the   portly   cod  and   the 
noble  blue-fish  and  bass.      Their  home  is  in   the  deep, 
and  until  we  have  monster  acjuaria   established  along 
our  coasts  wherein   these  fish  may  thrive,  and   be  at 
at  the  same   time   under   observation,  this  branch  of 
icthyoloiry  will   make  little   |)roixress.     Would  it   not, 
therefore,  be  a  wise  act  for  our  Government   to  estab- 
lish such  a  depot  on  the  Xorth-Atlantic  coast,  where, 
by  a  course  of  exact  scientific  observation,  the  whole 
(piestion    of  reproduction   might   come  to   be   under- 
stood.    At  least  this  is  the  only  way  in  which  we  can 
learn  when  it  is  profitable  to  kill  fish  and  when  to  let 


FisJi  and  FisJicr-Folk. 


167 


at 
of 
i-)t, 
ib- 
re. 
Die 

ur- 
tin 

et 


tlK'in  live.  Oii(^  writer  says  tliat  lie  has  the  authority 
of  a  li^herinan  for  stalini:;  that  the  cod  do  not  grow  at 
a  greater  rate  than  from  ('iirht  to  twelve  ounces  a  year. 
Tic  had  seen  a  cod  that  was  imprisoned  hy  accident  in 
a  roek-pool  oil  the  shore,  whoixj  he  had  the  opportii- 
iiitv  of  ohservinix  his  powci'  of  di^•estion  for  a  ixM'iod 
of  several  weeks,  and  found  it  weak,  though  there  was 
;in  ahundance  of  food.  The  haddock,  he  thought, 
would  grow  at  a  more  rapid  i-ate.  And  why  C(juld 
not  every  fisher-village,  without  waiting  for  the  action 
of  the  government,  estahli>h  an  a(iuarium  in  some  one 
of  the  many  rock-pools  that  line  this  ruined  coast? 
What  village  will  lead  the  way  aiid  set  the  exam[)le? 
In  the  care  of  the  fisheries,  the  authorities  of  the 
Dominion  are  in  advance  of  the  States.  For  a  con- 
siderable period  trawl-fishing  was  i)rohibited  by  law 
at  Grand  Menan,  and  the  act  has  now  ex[)ired  only 
bv  limitation.  For  three  months  in  the  year,  duririir 
the  spawning  season,  the  ca[)ture  of  herring  around 
the  southern  head  of  Grand  ^lenan  with  nets  is  abso- 
lutely prohibited,  and  the  olhcer  in  charge  of  this 
de[)artment  often  patrols  the  water  on  foggy  nights, 
fully  armed,  to  enforce  the  law.  But  at  Blount 
Desert,  as  elsewhere  on  the  entire  coast,  there  is  no 
restriction,  and  the  fish  arc  without  a  secure  i)lace  to 
spawn.  There  are  nets  in  the  bay,  nets  in  the  cove, 
nets  among  the  islands,  and  nets  out  at  sea.  These 
sea  nets  are  of  the  largest  class,  and  have  as  an 
auxilliary  a  good  sized  vessel  and  half  a  dozen  men 


I 


1 68 


Fisli  and  Fis!i:r-FoIL\ 


f. »i-  ,'i  (M'c'-v.  Oik;  lli:ih  I  saw  was  over  a  th:)U>a:i(l  fcot 
l;):iLr  aiul  oik;  liim<lrL'il  t'oi'l  d  'c^).  It  was  manai^cd  on 
tlu;  haif^iiiL?  [)i'iiK'ij)U;,  tlic;  li^h  ii;)},  being  '"  laclicd," 
that  is,  cauuflit  by  tho  ii;ills  in  iho  mcshcjs.  as  tlicir 
acfniinulatcil  weight  wluai  dcNul  would  ^ink  tlio  net  to 
tlic  l)o!toiu,  bat  W(;r(j  (Mitra')])(jd,  as  bv  means  of  a 
sack,  which  luclliod  leaves  them  still  alive,  and  swim- 
\\\\\vx  iVcelv,  bat  last  ])riso:iei*s.  The  mcsliuets  ai'e 
not  more  than  a  dozen  feet  deep,  and  are  set  by  llsh- 
ermeii  who -generally  li\c  on  the  shore  and  among  the 
islands,  from  whence  they  watch  the  aj)|)roacli  of  the 
fish,  rippling  in  schools  on  the  surfac(!  of  tin;  water. 
Thev  can  always  tell  when  the  lish  are  near,  so  tiiat 
for  a  good  portion  of  the  time  their  nets  are.  of  course, 
out  of  the  water,  which  is  extremely  iniurious  to 
twine,  and  left  to  dry  upon  the  shore.  The  nets 
thus  exposed  often  reminded  me  of  :i  lyric  in  a  collec- 
tion of  Japanese  odes  recently  brought  out  as  curi- 
osities in  an  English  dress.  There  are  (piite  a  num- 
ber referring  to  the  sea  and  the  fish"i-ies.  One 
runs  : 

"  By  tir  dim  pjrey  li^Mit  of  t-arly  uuwu 
I  strayod  by  Uji'ss  wave, 
From  wlicncc  tlio  riftinj^  mist  upborne 
3Io  scutttMTd  filini])sos  j;avo 

Of  Zt'ze's  s'alccs  tliore  scf, 
Wlicrcon  tlio  liLdior  ppreads  his  net." 

Another  ex[)resses  the  longings  of  the  Son  of 
Udaisho  Yoritonio,  wh(^  became  "  Kubo,"  whatever 
that  may  mean, — in  loOo.     This  individual,  who    was 


"1 


Fish  and  FisJic      '>-k. 


169 


evuleiitly  so  much  dissatislied  with  tho  city,  ex- 
claims : 

"  O  that  tIir()u;,'liout  nn  oiidlcss  life 
J  iui;,'lit  in  peaci'  dwell,  liir  IVorn  strife! 
I't^nncr  watcli  tin.'  lisliiiiir  yaw  I, 
And  view  the  net's  abundant  liaiil : 

IJow  fair  to  nie  ' 

How  pleasaiit  such  a  lot  would  be." 

lie  would  probably  liav(!  joined  veiy  sympathizinolv 
ill  the  soiinr  of  '-The  Jolly  Jelly  Fi.sli,"  so  often  suii'ir 
at  .Alount  J)esert. 

liut  1  will  trouble  the  reader  with  one  more  of 
these  lyrics,  of  the  date  of  1l>1(),  in  which  the  hard- 
ships of  the  fisherman's  lite  are  set  forth: 

"  I  would  tluit  I  nii;,'ht  show  to  theo 

Theisland-lislier'?  olt  drenched  sleeve, 
I  would  that  thine  own  eyes  nii_t,dit  sec 
IIow  the  salt  waves  their  tints  ne'er  thieve;" 

adding  immediately,  for  this  was  a  perfect  Jeremiah 
among  the  "  Japs"  : 

"  From  mine,  alas! 
Aye,  tear-bedewed,  the  colors  pass." 

There  is  even  another  still  more  destructive  way  of 
fishing.  The  net  is  fairly  eclipsed  by  the  weirs. 
These  are  huge  tra[)s,  built  on  shallows  and  bai-s.  in 
which  the  silly  lisli  are  impounded.  Selecting  S(;me 
spot  on  the  shore  where  the  tide  recedes  at  low  water, 
a  fence  of  wicker-work  is  made  with  stri[)s  of  deal  or 
s[)ruce  saplings,  mclosing  an  area  varying  from  one- 
half  to  three  or  four  acres.     A  i^rood-sized   "-atewav  is 


w 

»; 


170 


F/s/i  ami  ris/icr-Folk, 


I 


left  fur  the  fish  to  go  in,  and  w  lien  once  in  they  do 
not  li.'ivo  wit  cnonirh  to  .'ittein})t  to  go  ont,  jil  least  in 
season,  bnt  go  circling  ai'ound  the  sides,  shooting  past 
the  o|)(.'n  gate.  When  the  tide  has  gone  nearly  down, 
the  fisherman  entei-s  the  weir  with  a  skilF,  closes  the 
enti'ance,  and,  taking  a  great  scoop-net,  jnnips  into 
(lie  water  and  soon  loads  the  boat  with  handsome 
licrrini:^,  which  are  conveyed  ashore  to  he  i)nt  in 
l)ickl(;  or  hung  np  on  sticks  in  the  great  cnring-honse 
Vvhose  smoke,  in  ihesc  parts,  ascends  forever.  l)y  this 
])roccss  the  fish,  both  small  and  gie;it,  are  alike 
destroyed.  The  small  herrinij,  indeed,  have  no  direct 
conmiercial  value,  and  should  be  carefully  restored  to 
the  water  as  soon  as  taken,  to  jicrfoiin  their  part  in 
supi>lying  the  future  stock;  and  yet  tlu^sc  are  all 
remorselessly  thrown  into  the  ])arr(jw  and  trundled  off 
to  manure  the  iiround,  v\hich  could  easily  be  enriched 
by  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  shells  and  other  fcrtil- 
i;'jng  matter  now  lying  useless  upon  the  shore.  Gen- 
tle Islander,  I  pray  you  heed  the  voice  of  reason  and 
common  sense,  and,  while  you  slay  your  landjs  at  a 
tendei'er  age,  let  the  young  fish  go. 

One  very  earnest  English  writer  says  with  truth  : 
'•  Our  great  farm,  the  sea,  is  free  to  all — too  free  ; 
there  is  no  seed,  no  manure  to  provide,  and  no  rent 
to  p'^y.  Every  adventurer  who  can  procure  a  boat 
may  go  out  and  spoliate  the  shoals  ;  he  has  no  care 
for  the  growth  or  preservation  of  creatures  wdiich  he 
lias  been  tauiiht  to  think  inexhaustible.     In  one  sense 


1 


Fish  and  rishcr-Folk, 


171 


it  is  of  no  cnnsoquonro  to  a  fislienn.'ui  tliat  Iio  ralrlics 
('(xHiiiu^s  instead  of  cod ;  \vli;itcver  size  liis  fish  iu;iy  he, 
llicv  yield  liim  wliat  lie  fi'^hes  lor — iiionev.  Wliat  if 
all  the  herriiii^  lio  captures  ho  erowded  wilh  spawn  ? 
What  if  thev  ho  viri»in  li>h  th:it  have  nev<  r  ;idd«'(l  a 
(jUotM,  to  the  li'eiieral  stoek?  Th.'it  is  :ill  as  iiolhiiiL,^  to 
the  fishcnuau.  as  h)nix  :i"^  thev  lirinij  him  iiii)ne\-.  It 
is  tlio  same,  in  all  li>heries.  ()ur  'i\'vK\  nnreiiiilat('(l 
lishories  are,  in  my  hmnhle  opiidon,  a  thoroiinh  mis- 
take." 

And  disinterested,  thinkinir  men  will  e\ei'vwhere  he 
found  to  declare  tills  iud«nnent  true  ;  for  onlv  a  sav- 
aiiO  will  irather  liis  corn  indi>criminatel\ .  whether 
i-i[>c  or  unripe,  or  cut  down  his  trees  to  get  their  fi'uit: 
or,  again,  liaul  n[)  his  grass  hy  the  roots  to  make 
hav. 

])Ut  while  earnestly  deploring  this  wast(i  of  wealth, 
it  nuist  he  confessed  that  a  visit  to  the  lish-wei rs  is 
\erv  instructive  nnd  entertaininix.  In  some  i>laees  the 
Ix^ttom  of  the  weir  at  low  water  is  left,  ])erfectlv  drv, 
as  at  CajJC  Cod,  where  the  iisherman  has  only  to  walk 
in  and  [)ick  \\\)  the  hlue  lisli  on  the  sand;  and  in  oth- 
ers, as  at  Luhec  and  ('am[)0  liello,  ther(?  is  always 
water  enough  f  )r  a  whale.  At  Luhec  I  saw  the  re- 
mains of  a  shark  caught  thus,  that  Avas  ahout  thii'ty 
f'et  loni::,  :iiid  who>.e  liver  made  five  harrels  of  oil. 
Sometimes  they  are  taken  there  forty  feet  in  h.Migth. 
In  such  ca;res  they  make  a  foi-midahle  fight,  and  the 
trusty  rille  mu&t  come  in  as  the  auxiliary  of  the  liar- 


w 


172 


Fis/i.  and  Fis/icr-Folk. 


I 


i 


noon.  At  Blount  Desert  tlicv  occasionally  fiii'l  a  ijjood- 
sized  shark  or  horse  mackerel,  hut  ot'tener  the  |)()r[)oiso 
thus  comes  into  the  \V(;ir.  Schools  of  these  conlinnally 
ganihol  ahout  the  hay  for  the  edilication  of  vi>Itors,  or 
as  a  prize  for  the  Indians  who  hunt  them  lor  oiL  I 
started  once  across  FrenchmaiTs  Hay  for  their  camp 
on  Ii-on-hound  I.-land.  to  s('(i  thorn  at  home,  paddlini^' 
w  ith  an  old  tra[)jier  in  his  haik  canoe  ;  hut  w  hen  we 
<^ot  halfway  oyer,  a  hard  raiu-storm  set  in.  and  we 
thought  it  host  to  return  at  once.  Si  ill  the  trip 
aOoi'ded  an  oj)portuiiity  of  tostini^  the  (pialilie-^  of  tho 
•'hark*'  on  the  lon^^  ocean  swell.  Xo  hoat  c.)nld  havo 
hehaved  more  admirahly.      Ihit  to  return. 

Sometimes  the  poi"pois(.'s  show  their  glitterini^  hacks 
close  in  hy  the  cpiay,  and  seem  on  the  point  of  land- 
ing for  the  purpose  of  ai)plying  for  rooms.  Contrary 
to  the  yie\ys  of  many  persons,  the  i)oi'poise  (Phoraua 
communis )  is  not  a  lish  at  all,  ha\ini:  oidv  a  few  of 
the  eccentricities  of  the  li>h,  and  living  in  the  water, 
forming  a  curious  connection  hetween  the  two  most 
distant  orders  of  Yertehriites,  the  mammalia  heinix 
the  hiirhest  and  the  fish  the  lowest,  St>me  say  that  iti 
/00/iA' like  a  fish,  and //rt'.s"  lik^.  a  lish,  an<l  that  to  all 
intents  and  purposes  it  U'  a  fiNh ;  yet  if  the  por[)oise 
is  u  fi^h,  Izaak  Walton  was  a  fish  ;  whereas  in  tiaith, 
he  was  simply  a  li^herman.  In  its  most  distinguished 
feature,  the  pori)oihC  is  more  a  mdn  than  ajis/i.  J.iko 
the  Pearl-diver,  he  is  constantly  diving;  yet  whatever 
lie  does,  unlike  u  lish,  he   must  come   to   the  surface 


Fish  and  risJicr-FoIk. 


/J 


it  it 
all 

til, 
led 

-iko 
ver 
aco 


aiul  hrcatlio.  Tlie  diO'crence  botwof^n  tlio  divor  and 
tlu;  porpoise  is.  that  tlio  latter  can  hold  his  breath 
loiinc*  than  the  former.  The  porpoise  can  caiMy  an 
extra  snp[)ly  of  air.  Soani.in  i:<>iiii:"  do\\  i  iti  a,  di\  iiiix- 
Ix'll  carries  a  littler  atniosphtM'e  around  him.  but  the 
])oi'pois(''s  diviiigdx'U  is  within  him.  Thus  nmch  lor 
the  ))orpoise. 

AN'hcn  vi>ilin!^  the  weir  at  Bar  T-^land.  wc  \vor(^  not 
favored    bv   an   interview    with   this   creature,    vet    a 

«  * 

numerous  assemblage  of  the  linny  tribes  awailcd  in- 
spection. 

The  li>h('rman  in  charixo  was  v(U'v  aceommodatinix, 
and  ferried  Amarinta  and  the  rest  ov<'r  the  shallow 
water  into  th(3  w«'ir,  and  then  waded  in  with  his 
scoop-net  and  proceeded  to  catch  the  herrinix.  which 
rushed  about  the  weir  exceeirmi^ly  frighten<'d.  Wlien 
drop[)ed  out  of  thti  net  into  the  boat,  tliey  set  up  a 
profliirious  drumminir.  The  herring  iti  th(^  water 
could  b(>  di>tinctlv  seen,  their  sides  llashiiej;  lil^c;  >il- 
ver.  The  rest  of  the  li>h  did  not  seem  to  mind  our 
presence,  an<l  swmiu  leisui'ely  around  tlu;  boat,  or  l;iy 
still  whi!<'  we  paildl<<l  amoni,^  them.  r»e>sides  the 
hei'i'iiig  there  were  menhad<'n.  siUcry  hake,  dog-ll.-h. 
rockcod.  scid[»in,  lloun<lers,  [>ol!ock,  scates,  and  geo-e 
or  monkfi>h.  The  two  latter  wer(»  extremely  tame,  n-id 
several  <d'  the  monk-li-h  were  five  and  six  leet  loni;-. 
]*uttinu:  the  blade  of  an  oar  into  its  broad  mouth,  this 
li>h  W(»uld  hold  on  with  its  teeth  until  diawn  up  to 
the  boat,  and  when  alongside  they  wouhl  swim  slowly, 


1/4 


FisJi  and  Fishcr-rolk. 


I 


so  tliat  we  could  touch  tlicir  backs  with  our  huuds. 
In  tlic  wiitcr,  tlicir  movements  arc  us  dignilied  a^ 
tliose  of  an  empress  di'aij'uiii'r  a  loni^;  train.  On  tlic 
otlier  liand  the  scatc  is  rather  chimsy,  and  when  I 
ti[)ped  them  over  on  their  backs,  they  liad  liard  woik 
to  recover  from  this  i)osition.  Such  a  muhitude  of 
li>li,  for  there  were  thousands  of  them,  all  at  liome  in 
their  native  element,  formed  a  rare  sight,  and  one  for 
which  the  naturalist  miglit  well  afford  a  journey  lo 
INIount  Desert. 

Cod  ai(i  not  taken  in  these  weirs,  but  are  fished 
with  lines  aii<I  trawls.  This  is  called  boat-iishiiii»' 
Fi-hing  with  lines  is  very  laborious  work,  as  it  often 
oc(.'upies  the  whole  night,  some  llsh  being  taken  only 
at  that  time.  Trawling,  however,  is  more  easy.  ]>y 
this  method  the  fisherman  fastens  a  hundred  or  two 
baited  hooks  at  regular  distances  on  a  small  roj)e. 
which  is  sunk  to  X\w  bottom  and  left,  eaeh  end  beinu" 
marked  ])y  a  buov  to  which  they  are  attached.  The 
iishcrmau  leaves  it  to  itself,  and  onlv  iiDCs  at  certain 
hours  to  rebait  the  hooks  and  take  olf  the  li.sh  that 
a'.e  caught.  'J'his  practice  is  very  destructive,  and 
.should  be  sup{)ressed  by  law  ;  that  is,  unless  we  wish 
to  banish  the  cod  and  the  haddock  to  deep  water. 

Some  of  the  lishermcn  talk  very  sensibly  on  this 
and  other  subjects  connected  with  the  lisheries.  It 
was  (piite  entertaining  to  go  on  board  of  their  vessels 
as  they  lay  in  the  haibor,  and  enter  upon  conversation. 
I  found  two  distinct  classes  of  fishermen,   that  may 


^1 

i 


Fish  and  Fishcr-Folk. 


/  3 


liar 


his 
It 


be  called  llic  eld  ircliool  and  the  new.  The  former 
are  o[»eii  to  su^xgeslioiis,  and  aiixi(»us  tu  profit  IVoiu 
science,  while  the  latter  kept  old  horse-shoes  nailed  to 
the  foremast,  near  thedfck,  to  diixeaway  the  witches, 
and  think  that  there  is  no  danger  of  e\ha\istinir  the 
buj)j)ly  of  fish.  IMiere  were  *•  li>h  enongh"  in  the 
&ea.  "  But  why  don't  you  catch  ihemi'"  1  incpiircd. 
'"  AVell,  they  didn't  know  ;  the  peojjle  threw  so  much 
'  ijjurry'  overboard  in  the  harbors.*'  J>v  thi>  thev 
meant  tlu;  heads  and  entrails  of  the  iL^h.  'JMiev 
seemed  to  think  that  it  had  soniethini'-  of  the  eilect  of 
pirates  hung  on  headlands  in  chains,  or  the  grinning 
skulls  of  bold  hiiihwavmen,  lixed  on  siiikes  over  Lon- 
dou  gate.  Once,  as  they  confessed,  it  was  eas}^  to 
go  oif  in  a  b(*>at  and  get  fifteen  dollars'  worth  of  hake 
in  a  few  hours,  but  now  they  often  toiled  all  the  night 
and  took  iiothinix.  Thev  did  not  however  ihi'ow 
awav  all  th(i  "irurrv.''  The  liver  and  the  soinids,  that 
is,  the  air  vessels  attached  to  the  back-bone,  are  care- 
fully preserved,  the  livers  for  oil,  and  the  hake  sounds 
for  si/iuLT,  and — would  vou  b(di(!vc  it,  lads  and  lasses? 
— for  gum-drops.  It  is  iie\ertheless  so,  and  when  at 
the  confectioner's  you  roll  the  unhealthy  things  under 
your  toniiuo,  as  a  sweet  morsel,  dreaminix  of  the  Asiat- 
ic  Acacia  bleediuix  awav  its  ricli  lifi;  in  a  thick  resi- 
nous  ooze,  just  rciiuinber  that  your  gum  may  have 
oriiiiiiated  in  the  fish-tid)s  of  Moiuit  Desert. 

Those  interested  in  cod  liver  oil   will  'dso  peiha|)s 
feel  unv.illino,  to  learn  that  this  ihimjj  can  seldom  be 


m 


176 


Fis/i  and  Fis/icr-Folk, 


i 


I 


liud.  Tlinrcare  (lou])tlcss  persons  ulio  mamifaclure  it, 
and  I  could  readily  point  at  least  to  one — yet  careful 
ol)^el•vati<^ns  extendinj;  aloni;  the  ]\Iaine  coast  from 
I-Ic-^  of  Shoals  to  (irand  ]\[enan,  did  not  afford  me  a 
lilinipse  of  a.  2:allon  of  the  jj^eiuiine  stuff.  The  most 
of  the  fishermen  franklv  aekno\vledii;ed  that  every- 
tliini;  in  the  shape  of  a  liver  went  into  the  connnon 
val  :  A\hile  others  confessed  the  truth  when  it  was 
nriicd  liom(\     Let  consumptives  take  notice. 

Still  there  is  no  nioi'al  obli(piity  on  the  part  of  the 
ii>h<'rman.  lie  simply  sells  the  livers  at  so  nnich  the 
l)ucket  to  the  factor  or  speculator,  and  usually  speaks 
of  the  ])ro(hict  as  *' liver  oil."  If  speculators  call 
this  stuff  "cod  liver  oil,"  \vhen  they  put  it  in  tiie 
market,  it  cei'tainly  is  not  his  faidt.  The  fisherman 
himself  is  generally  a  good-hearted  man,  notwithstand- 
ing his  rough  exterior,  and  in  many  cases  maintains  a 
noble  independence.  lie  will  do  the  sea-side  visitor 
a  service,  and,  notwithstanding  his  poverty,  decline 
receiviuii"  anv  remuneration.  These  cases  are  all  the 
more  noticeable,  for  the  reason  that  most  of  the  jieople 
by  the  sea-side,  feci  that  the  summer  is  their  harvest- 
time,  and  that  thev  must  hasten  to  make  as  much  out 
of  stranmMs  as  thev  can. 

The  fisherman's  homo  is  not  alwavs  so  comfortable 
as  I  could  wish,  vet  he  does  not  alwavs  seem  to  feel 
titaf.  lie  i>  used  to  roughing  it.  And,  like  the  gip- 
sv,  he  has  a  huiiiua^j^e  of  his  own.  On  the  whole, 
his  is  a  (pieer  vocabulary. 


Fish  and  Fishcr-Folk. 


^77 


Speiiking  of  "  bnisli,"  lie  means  liis  luiii*.  His  boots 
are  '•  stompers  ;"  one  knife  is  'Mhroater,"  and  the, 
otliej- a  '-splitter;"  his  apron  is  a  "harvel,"  his  iish- 
l)ox  is  a  '"kid;"  his  hook  is  a  '' drai^on  ;"  his  hand-nc^ 
is  a  ••  dipper,"  and  most  all  small  craft  arc  *'  [)inkies," 
or  "  i)o<xies,"  ''smacks,"  or  '' jiL^iiers."  lie  counts 
time  1)V  the  tide;  he  was  married  at  about  "slack 
water."  He  reckons  the  length  of  his  lines  by  "shots," 
thirty  fathoms  to  a  shot ;  the  principal  ])reparations 
of  food  containing  Hour  or  meal,  are  known  as  "  fresh 
smother,"  '•  duif,"  and  "jo-iloggers,"  while  hard-bread 
and  Mpples  is  "grunt."  Going  out  to  lake  a  walk 
forms  a  '•  cruise,"  and  w  hen  he  leaves  a  neighbor's 
iircbide  to  go  home,  he  gets  "up  anchor"  or  "  killick." 
A  breath  of  wind  on  th(3  water  is  a  "  cat's-jiaw,"  and 
everything  is  called  "she,"  from  his  wife,  that  is  "my 
old  woman,"  to  a  cart-wheel  or  a  clock. 

The  accessories  of  the  lisherman's  vocation  mav 
appear  rude,  but  his  calling  is  closely  connected  ^^ith 
the  nicest  im[)ortant  interest.  It  has  also  been  ftdlowed 
bv  those  who  have  invested  it  with  a  sort  of  dii-nitv. 
L  :st  of  all,  the  Ajiostles  were  chieliy  fishermen,  and 
the  Pope  himself  is  not  ashamed  in  this  our  own  day 
to  cai-ry  in  his  pocket  the  annual  revenues  of  his  eel 
lisheries  at  C'omacchio.  .\nd  all  alonir  the  ccMitui'ies 
the  iisherman  has  made  himself  felt.  In  J7."jO,  the 
Fishi]ioni>-ers'  Comiianv,  the  oldest  in  the  lji<di>h 
realm,  in  a<ldressing  the  Prince  of  AVales,  told  his 
nighness   that  the  Comjiany   liad  f<rnished    London 


i;8 


Fish  and  Fishcr-Folk, 


tlirc'C-scoro  Lord  Mayors.  A^eiiice  rose  fjom  a  Csliin'^ 
village,  and  Amsterdam  was  founded  on  herrino-bones. 
riiipps  and  Pepperell  were  in  the  business,  and  bolli 
were  knighted.  Jolni  Selman  and  jSlcholas  Bron<di- 
ton,  lAIarbleliead  fisliermen,  were  tlie  first  naval  com- 
manders appointed  by  Wasliington,  while  Commodore 
Tnelu'r,  tlie  fisherman,  took  more  British  guns  than 
the  famous  Paul  Jones.  Their  record  has  always 
been  honorable,  and  a  generous  peo^jle  will  eyer 
accoid  them  all  praise. 


11 
■Miii'i ' 


^M 

E 

^1 

^^ 

fm^ 

^sfe 

sssz 

TI/E    ISLES    OF   SHOALS. 
ciiArTi:u    XI 11. 

Joiix  Smith  —  Ciiami'lain  —  IIisiouv  of  xm:  Islks 
Appli:i>oui:  —  Londonnku's  —  White  Island  —  Si.vu 
Smuttv-Xo.sk  —  liocii.wi:i:DS. 


jORTSMUrTir,  tho  ])()iiit  of  (Icpartiin^  for 
lilt;  I>1l's  of  Shoals,  is  a  (luuiiit  oM  place 
of  some  lii>iori(;  renown,  situateil  at  llie 
inontli  of  the  PiscaLa,(|na  IJivei".  Frnin 
thence,  in  the  snnuner  season,  a  small  steamcM-  nsntillv 
makes  a  daily  trip  to  the  Shoals.  It  was  onr  fortune, 
liowe\er,  to  sail  thither  in  the  little  yacht  Cflhi.  As 
the  tide  \\  as  nnfavorahle,  the  Captain  had  left  his 
vessel  at  Xeweasth',  about  a  mile  hchtw,  and  hrou'^ht 
uj)  his  yawl  to  take;  u>  down.  On  such  a  perverse 
stream  as  this,  the  task  of  rowinii;  is  no  trifle,  vet  afier 
a  hard  >trn:n^le,  in  which  the  lidi;  at  times  got  the  hest 
of  us,  tuii'^ini''  at  the  hows  of  the  boat  like  some  hu'^e 
mastilK  we  iiot  down  the  harbor,  passinuj  on  the  v  ay 
mementos  (jf  at  lea>t  three  wars. 

Getlinj*-  on  board  just  as  a  heavv  sliower  rauK^  on, 
blisteriu!^  the  surface  of  the  water,  we  at  once*  went 
below,  thouiih  the  crew  i^ot  the  vacht  under  wav  ;  and 
wheu  the  shower  was  over,  the  C'elia   was  out.side   of 


i8o 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


PortsmoLitli  Liixlit.  AVc  were  now  licadiiiix  directlv 
for  the  ''  Slioals,"  as  the  i)eo})le  liere  say,  with  AVliale 
]>ack  Light  to  our  left,  or  larboard  side.  This  heaijon 
lias  a  fixed  lii^lit  in  a  solid  tower,  fifty-eight  feet  high, 
built  upon  a  small  rock. 

Gradually  Appledore  rose  above  the  waves,  until  it 
seemed  to  float  insensibly 

"  Like  a  great  ship  at  nnclior." 

As  we  sailed  on,  it  became  evident  that  we  were  ap- 
])roacliing 

"  A  country  that  draws  fifty  foot  of  water, 
Ju  which  men  live  as  in  the  hold  of  nature. 

*  *  *  *  * 

A  land  that  rides  at  anchor,  and  is  moored, 
In  which  tliey  do  not  live  but  go  aboard." 

Or,  if  any  one  does  not  exactly  like  this  future, 
"  That  live  as  if  they  had  been  run  aground," 

for  I  should  hardly  care  to  carry  out  ]>utler's  descrip- 
tion of  Holland  any  farther.  Arriving  off  the  cove 
on  the  south  side  of  Appledore,  it  was  pleasing  to  fnid 
the  as[)ect  of  these  isles  so  agreeable.  Instead  of  a 
mere  heap  of  black,  unsightly  rocks  as  1  had  anticip'ated, 
the  C(dors  were  rich,  cheerful  and  harmonious  ;  and, 
beiiiLi"  half  covered  here  and  there  with  briiiht  iji'icn 
shrubs,  the  effect  of  the  islands,  as  a  whole,  when  laid 
against  the  bright  blue  slvv,  was  really  admirable. 
1  sliould  have  been  alad  if  I  could  have  ^aid  at  once 
with  Caliban,  ''This  island's  mine." 


TJic  Isles  of  Shoals, 


i8r 


Going  ashore  seemed  like  going  out  of  tlio  littlo 
steam  tug  to  get  on  hoard  the  Great  Eastern.  Yet 
we  soon  found  tlie  dillerence,  for  instead  of  a  reeliiiir 
deck  there  was  tlie  solidity  of  terra  firma.  We  there- 
fore  concluded  that  Ihitler's  last  suixixestion  was  hest, 
and  that  the  whole  concern  had  run  hard  aground. 
liut  what  is  the  ij^enealofjy  of  these  isles  ? 

That  class  of  writers  who  scorn  investigaticm,  and 
seize  upon  the  itrst  i)lausible  story  that  they  can  con- 
veniently catch,  have  been  accustomed  to  say  that  the 
Isles  of  Shoals  were  discovered  in  1G14,  by  Captain 
John  Smith,  who  drew  '*  the  first  map  of  this  coast." 
Now,  as  regards  John  Smith,  the  simple  truth  is,  that 
in  the  above-mentioned  vear  he  came  to  the  coast  of 
Maine,  and  left  his  vessel  at  Monhegan,  "  Wildest," 
as  he  says,  "the  sailers  lished,  myselfe  with  eight  oth- 
ers of  them  might  best  be  spared,  langing  the  coast 
in  a  small  boat."  In  the  course  of  this  voyajie  he 
drew  a  map,  and  laid  down  these  isles  as  "  Smith's 
Isles."  There  is  not,  however,  a  line  on  record  to 
prove  that  he  ever  stepped  upon  their  shores. 

Such  is  the  claim  of  John  Smith  as  the  "•  Discov- 
erer" of  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  so  familiar  to  fisheimen 
and  others  who  had  already  frequented  the  coast  f  )r 
many  years. 

In  this  connection  Cliamplain  must  be  noticed. 
AVi:h  I)e  Monts,  he  explored  this  region  in  lGO-3,  nine 
years  before  Smith  arrived,  and  made  a  map  of  the 
c(.)abt.     This  is  the  lirst  tolerable  map  to  which  we  can 


r 


182 


Tlic  Isles  of  SJioals. 


refer.  fiOfirarlxjt,  smvs  tlint  tliev  ''explored  niaiiv 
tliiiii:<,"  "  vlewiiii^  all  tin;  eoa-^t  (»f  this  land."  and 
'•.searehini^  to  tlie  hottoni  ofllie  liays." 

("hamplain  a])jtr<»a('lied  tliis  part  (/f  tlie  mast  ^VFay 
1 '>.  At  the  east  Ik^  saw  three  or  four  isles,  and  at  I  ho 
west  the  mouth  of  a  hay,  that  is,  Portsmouth  harhor, 
whose  islands  he  mentioned  as  eoNci-ecl  wilh  wood.  He 
Jlf.'erwards  landed  at  Odioriie's  J*<»int,  which  ho  laid 
down  in  his  map  and  called  (ape  of  the  Isli's  {I.p  dip 
(titx  hies).  'I'herefore,  if  <'ither  of  these  exploiers 
should  he  distinguished  as  the  discoverer  of  the  isles, 
tlie  honor  must  he  awarded  to  C'hamplain. 

Ill  reixard  to  \\\v,  oriijiu  of  their  i>resent  name  ^\G 
are  left  in  dotdjt.  It  has  often  ])eeii  sai<l  that  it 
superseded  the  name  given  by  the  founder  of  Vir- 
ixinia,  who  called  them  "  Smith's  Isles,"  v(jt  this  is  a 
gratuitous  assumption.  There  is  nothing  to  pi-ove 
that  the  name  *' Isles  of  Shoals"  di<l  not  prccdc 
Smi'di's  name.  No  one  ever  8p(dve  of  ''Smith's 
I>les,"  exce[)t  Smith  himself;  whereas  it  is  not  known 
when  they  were  lirst  called  the  "  Isles  oi'  Shoals." 
The  laime  was  douhtless  fjiven  l)v  some  lishin!>'  exne- 
dition,  on  account  of  the  schoolinu"  of  the  iish  at  this 
place,  and  perhaps  by  Sir  Samuel  .Vrgall,  who,  the 
year  [ire\ious  to  the  arrival  of  Smith,  Hilled  in  these 
waters. 

I>ut  thou2:li  the  oriiiiii  of  the  name  mav  he  oh- 
scure,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  they  were  settled  at  a 
eumparatively  early  period.     Luvett  said  :     ''  Tlie  lirst 


■^'"■••p ' 


TJic  Isles  of  SJioals. 


183 


jiliico  T  set  my  footo  vpon  in  New  iMigliiiid  [H't'J.'*] 
was  tlic  lies  of  Slioulds  '*  *  '*  V|»ou  tht'so  Jslaiids  1 
iieillier  could  see  one  mxul  tindx-r  tree,  nor  so  much 
<X  )(>d  ixround  as  to  make  a  irarden."  llt.»  ad<ls  that 
this  is  good  llshiiig  ground  'i^^v  '•  G  Shippos,"  hut  not 
more,  owing  to  the  laek  of  stagoroom.  The  fact  was 
demonstrated,  he  snvs,  hv  "this  yeare's  exnericnee." 
IMms  early  were  the  New  Knglanders  found  here. 

The  isles  are  seven  in  number,  Iving  nine  miles 
south-east  of  Portsmouth  J.ii-ht.  The  line  dividing 
^raine  from  New  Hampshire  ]iasses  through  them, 
leaving  Appledore,  Haley's,  now  eidied  8mutty-nose, 
Duck  and  Cedar  Islands  in  the  former  State;  and 
(iosport  or  Star  Island,  AVhite  and  Londoner's 
Maud  in  the  latter.  Tin;  largest  is  Api)ledore.  Star 
Island  ranks  next,  an<l  Haley's  stands  third.  The 
others  are  hardly  more  than  rocks. 

The  name  of  the  first  settler  is  not  definitely  known, 
thouiih  it  mi'dit  have  been  that  Jatfrev,  who,  in  1()28, 
with  a  ^Ir.  Burslem,  paid  part  of  the  expense  of  ar- 
restitiir  Thomas  ]\Iorton,  of  Merrv  Mount.  ]\Iorton 
himself  was  brought  here  at  that  time,  [)revious  to 
being  sent  to  England. 

In  1G.j5  the  southern  half  of  the  group  was  granted 
to  John  IMason ;  but  in  1G7G  the  isles  were  occupied 
by  William  Pepperell  (father  of  Sir  William)  and  a 
^Ir.  Oi!)])c)ns.  Thev  eiiiiiiiied  for  a  time  in  the  fish- 
eiies,  but  linallv  decided  to  remove. 

We  read  that  the  Northmen,  when  thev  went  into 


■  — "  — 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


■  50     "'" 


2.5 


2.0 


111= 

1.4     III  1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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1 84 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


Iceland,  were  Lniidcd  in  llio  clioice  of  ground  for  tlicir 
colonies  1)}^  tlie  liints  thrown  out  by  the  seat-posts, 
which,  heinix carved  with  images  of  the  i»<)ds,  they  threw 
overboard  when  approaching  the  coast,  to  land  where 
th(;  winds  and  waves  might  toss  theui.  ]>ut  Pep[!ei(']l 
and  his  associate  were  guided  by  a  siniph-r  suggestion. 
'J'hey  cared  nothini;  for  Lares  and  Penates,  and  there- 
fore  each  took  a  stick,  set  it  on  end,  and  allowed  it  to 
fall  as  it  would,  then  going  to  seek  new  stations  in  the 
direction  indicated  by  the  fallen  sticks.  Pei)[!ereirs 
fell  to  the  north-west,  and  sent  him  to  Kittery,  while 
Gibbons'  iruided  him  to  the  AValdo  l^itent.  At  least, 
so  savs  tradition. 

Jt  is  also  stated,  on  somewhat  better  authority, 
that  Sir  William's  father  was  so  poor,  that  for 
some  time  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  sought 
a  wife  in  vain.  AVhen  he  became  more  prosperous, 
the  damsel  of  his  choice  became  his  wife.  Their  son 
was  knii»iited  for  his  services  in  170!).  The  title  be- 
came  extinct  in  1810,  and  it  is  said  that  those  who 
bore  it  actually  came  to  want.  jNIargery,  a  sister  of 
Sir  William,  was  accidentally  drowned   near  the  itles. 

August  14,  IGoG,  Richard  Mather,  grandfather  of 
the  celebrated  Cotton  Mather,  arrived  from  Ibistol, 
Knixland,  in  the  James,  commanded  bv  Captain 
Taylor.  In  his  journal  ]\Iather  savs,  ^^  lUit  ys  eve- 
iiing  by  moone-light  about  10  of  ye  clocke  wee  came  to 
ancrc  at  ye  lies  of  Shoals,  which  are  7  or  8  Islands 
and    other   great   rockes ;    and   there    slept    sweetely 


The  Isles  of  SJioals. 


1 8; 


vt  nii:lit  till  breakc  of  (lnv<  But  vet  vc  Lord  had 
not  (loiio  willi  us,  nor  vet  had  let  us  seo  all  his  ijood- 
r.cssc  which  he  would  have  us  take  knowledire  of; 
therefore  on  Saturday  morning  ahout  breake  of  <lay, 
ve  Lord  sent  forth  a  most  terrible  stormc  of  laiiie 
and  easterlv  wind,  wherebv  wee  were  in  as  nnndi 
danger  as  I  thinke  ever  ])eople  were  :  for  we  lost  in 
vt  morninii  three  great  ancres  and  cables;  of  which 
cables,  one  having  cost  oOX  nev(  "  had  beene  in  any 
water  before,  two  were  broken  by  ye  violence  of  ye 
waves,  and  ye  third  cut  bv  vc  seamen  *  *  to  save  ve 
shij)."  Theii  thev  set  Kijl,  "but  ve  Lord  let  us  see  vt 
savles  could  not  save  us,  *  *  for  by  ve  force  of  vo 
wind  and  rainc  ve  savleswere  rent  in  sunder."  Then 
he  says  they  began  '•  to  drive  with  full  force  of  wind 
and  rayne  directly  upon  a  mighty  rocke  standing  out 
in  sight  above  ye  water,  so  yt  we  did  but  continually 
wayte  when  we  should  lieare  and  feele  ye  dolefull  rush- 
ing and  crushing  of  ye  ship  upon  ye  rocke."  lUit 
hap[)ily  the  ship  was  guided  past  "ye  rocke"  and 
escaj-ec',  when  new  sails  were  bent  on,  and  the  James 
headed  in  safety  for  Ca[)e  Ann.  The  same  stoi'm 
cast  another  emigrant  ship  ashore  at  Cape  Ann, 
where  twenly-one  persons  W'ere  drowned,  including 
]Mr.  ^Mather's  brother-clerirvman,  Mr.  Avery,  from 
AYiltshire,  and  his  wife  and  six  children. 

About  this  time  the  trade  of  the  isles  was  quite 
flourishing,  and  as  many  as  half-a-dozen  ships  would 
be   loading  with  fish  for  Dilbou,  in  Spain.     The  in- 


1 86 


TJie  Isles  of  Shoals. 


li;ilMt;iiits  were  [joor,  ])ut  distingui>lie(l  for  genuine 
wortli. 

In  1()H),  one  Jolin  Abbot,  who  b;i(l  been  taken 
prisoner  l)y  the  Indians  at  lilack  l\)int,  ninnnged  to 
esr-a^e  with  a  i)innace  of  thirty  tons,  and  came  to  the 
Kh's.  On  a  favorable  occasion,  wlien  the  Indians 
v.ere  asliore,  he  greased  tlie  mast,  hoisted  the  sail, 
and  was  soon  beyond  their  reach. 

At  first  the  isles  were  left  without  any  settled  gov- 
ernmenf,  but  the  inconyenience  became  so  great,  that 
in  the  year  KJGl,  ^lassuchusetts  erected  them  into 
!i  township,  one  part  lying  in  the  county  of  Yoik  and 
the  other  part  in  that  of  Dover  and  Portsmouth,  under 
tlic  iKime  of  "  Apledoore  ;"  though,  by  asubsecpient  act 
in  1('»72,  they  were  all  placed  in  the  jurisdiction  of 
I)()\er.  The  first  settlement  was  on  Appledore,  then 
known  as  IIou  Island.  The  number  of  iidiabitants 
at  that  time  has  always  been  exairjxerated.  It  is 
clear  that  the  number  of  dwellinixs  did  not  exceed 
twenty.  They  Iiad  a  small  meeting-house.  It  is  said 
that  the  Rev.  IMr.  Hull  was  the  first  preacher,  though 
Savaixe  shows  that  he  was  here  not  louix  before  his 
death  in  1GG5.  The  inventory  of  his  widow  states 
that  the  "  the  Isle  owed  him  for  his  ministry  £20." 
IJichard  Gibson,  of  the  Church  of  England,  came 
here,  "entertained  by  the  fishermen"  to  i)reacli  to 
them.  He  also,  as  John  AVinthrop  comjilains,  "did 
marry  and  baptize."  To  this  he  added  the  crime  of 
s[)eaking  against  the  Great  and  General  Court,  saying 


The  Isles  of  Skoals. 


rS: 


tliat  tlio  Shoals  were  not  witliiii  their  jiii-i^-dicMon. 
Ueiug  aj)i)relieiHle(l  hy  the  lio>toii  iiuthoritic ;,  he 
aekiio\vle(l;,n'(l  l)i,s  guihiness  (in  tlieir  eves),  ;iii(l. 
''beiii<^r  a  stranger,"  was  giaciously  sentenced  -to 
(le;)art  tlie  eonntry,"  witlioiit  any  "other  punishment." 
lie  h't't  lor  England  in  1(')42. 

Aj)|)hMlore  was  early  abandoned,  the  peoiile  remov- 
ing to  the  convenient  location  atlbrded  hy  Star  and 
Haley's  Island.  On  the  latter  was  a  hinlding  il::u 
ser\ed  as  a  Court  House,  and,  in  1072,  eases  involv- 
ing m)t  more  than  ten  pounds  could  he  tried  here, 
"  Provided  one  person  or  more  fVom  the  mayne  do  sitt; 
and  joyne  with  them."  At  the  same  time  dues  of  gun- 
powder could  l)e  collected  of  vessels  enterlnir  the  nort, 
which  powder  should  he;  used  for  "our  safetv." 

Two  years  j)revious  to  this  time,  however,  the  isles 
came  near  losing  their  good  name,  and  l)rin<dn«'-  "re- 
proach  and  prejudice  to  this  colony;"  for  it  was  rejiori- 
ed  to  the  General  Court,  "  that  there  is  a  ship  ridiu'r 
in  a  roade  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals  susj;ected  to  he  a 
pirat,  and  hath  pirattically  seized  the  sayM  ship  and 
g  )ods  from  some  of  the  French  nation  in  amity  with 
the  English."  The  virtuous  Court,  therefore,  thou'dit 
fit  to  purge  itself  of  all  complicity  with  the  allai;-,  and 
its  resolve,  to  that  efVect,  as  the  record  (luaintlv  savs, 
was  duly  "  Publisht  in  Ijoston  by  beat  of  drume." 

The  jieople  here  were  in  no  way  implicated,  and 
yet  we  iind  that  the  lirst  pirates  in  New  Eti'dand 
originated  near   by,   beginning  their   depredations  in 


i88 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


1G:]2,  and  generally  keeping  east  of  (he  Shoals.  They 
were  sixteen  in  nuniher,  heiu'^  led  bv  Dixv  liiill. 
Peniaciuid  was  their  lirst  })rize,  and  there  one  of  their 
band  was  killed.  The  Government  sent  an  armed 
vessel  in  pursuit  of  them,  but,  on  their  promising  to 
abandon  the  trade,  tlie  chase  was  given  u[).  It  is  said 
that  they  liad  one  rule  against  excessive  drinking, 
and  anotlier  enforcing  daily  prayers.  Sometime 
afterwards  the  Low  Pirates  visited  the  isles  and 
caused  one  of  the  lichermen  to  purchase  his  life 
by  cursing  the  renowned  Cotton  Mather  three 
times.  They  luited  the  Reverend  gentleman  not 
without  cause,  for  he  really  seemed  to  enjoy  preach- 
ing a  sermon  at  the  execution  of  one  of  their  pro- 
fession. 

December  24,  1715,  the  present  town  of  Gosport 
was  erected  by  the  authorities  of  New  Hampshire, 
the  old  jurisdiction  of  "  Apledoore "  having  become 
e:rete.  In  1728  Gosport's  proportion  of  the  tax  of 
one  thousand  pounds  was  sixteen  pounds  four  shil- 
lings. 

The  present  records  go  back  no  farther  than  the 
year  17^30,  but  they  contain  much  interesting  informa- 
tion both  of  a  civil  and  ecclesiastical  nature. 

It  ai)pears  that  in  the  year  1G47,  it  was  contrary  to 
the  orders  of  the  General  Court  for  a  woman  to  live 
on  the  isles,  aiul  a  man  was  complained  of  for  bring- 
ing over  some  goats  and  hogs,  together  with  his  wife. 
The  hogs  preyed  upon  the  fish  which  was  being  cured, 


Tlie  Isles  of  SJioals, 


189 


but  tlic  crime  of  the  poor  woiniui   is   not    montioned. 
To  the  credit  of  the  judges  we  must  add,  tliat   wlule 
tlie  porkers   were  Ixinished    tlie  isles,  tlie   man    was 
allowed    to    enjoy    the   companionship    r^    his    wife. 
The  minister  from  IGol  to  IGGo   was   the    Ilev.  John 
Brock,  a  graduate  of  Harvard   College,  who  appears 
to   have   been   a   man   of    ijreat   excellence.      Cotton 
Mather  tells  a  i^ood  story  about  him  in  his  MaqnaVm. 
lie  says  that  a  lisherman  who  had  been  very  useful  in 
ferrying  the  people  to  church  on  Sundays,  finally  lost 
his  boat  in  a  storm.     The   good  parson,  hi^aring  him 
lament  the  fact,  said,  "  Go  home  contented,  good  Sir, 
I'll  mention  tJie  matter  to  tlie  Lord;    to-morrow  you 
may  exi)ect  to  find  your  boat."    And  the  account  says 
that  the  next  day   it   was    actually    restored  to  him, 
liaving  been  brought  np  from  the  bottom  on  the  flukes 
of  an  anchor.     Mr.   Brock  was  succeeded  by   a  Mr. 
Belcher.     Afterwards   the   Ivev.  Joshua  ^Moody  took 
the  clerical  duties,  and  served  from  170G  to  \lo\. 

The  Rev.  John  Tucke  was  the  minister  from  17o2 
until  1773.  At  first  his  salary  was  one  hun<lred  and 
ten  '•  pounds  money  or  bills  of  credit,"  to  which  was 
added  live  [)ounds  towards  a  house.  He  accepted  the 
otlice  April  28,  and  July  2G  following  was  observed 
by  the  iidiabitants  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for 
a  blessiiiiT  on  his  ministry.  In  \1')V  his  salary  was 
one  quintal  of  "merchantable  fish"  to  each  man,  and 
his  })arishioners  numbering  nearly  one  hundred,  his 
stipend,    for   those   days,  was    quite   valuable.     Two 


190 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


years  later  lie  hail  lii.s  eliDicf;  between  wailini,^  for  liis 
money  or  taking  liis  salary  in  "  weanter  lisli."  Lilxe 
a  wise  man  lie  took  the  fish,  holdin:;  that  a  bird  in  the 
hand  was  worth  two  in  the  l)u.sh. 

]>y  d(>grees,  owing  to  their  attaehment  to  strong 
drinlv.  tlu^  ])eo})lo  lost  the  high  character  which  tlu-y 
so  long  bore.  When  the  Kevolutionary  war  broke 
ont,  the  most  of  the  inhabitants  removed  to  the  main- 
land, for  the  reason  that  the  })lace  became  the  rende/:- 
vons  of  r>ritish  crnisers.  From  the  close  of  the  war 
to  the  year  1800,  those  left  lu^re  only  had  occasional 
preachinix  bv  the  Key.  Jeremiah  Shaw.  In  171)0,  so 
indifferent  was  the  tone  of  feeling,  that,  as  the  records 
say,  "  Some  of  the  peo})le  of  the  baser  sort  pnlled 
down  and  burnt  the  meeting  honse."  The  writer 
who  records  the  act  contiiines  :  ''The  special  jndg- 
xnent  of  heaven  seems  to  have  followed  this  piece  of 
wickedness  to  those  concerned  in  it,  who  seem  since 
to  have  been  given  np  to  work  all  manner  of  wicked- 
ue;-  .  with  liTcediness." 

Eventnally  the  people  of  Massachusetts  built  them 
a  meeting  house  with  stone  walls,  on  Star  Island,  .'ent 
them  a  teacher,  besides  food  and  clothing,  and  in 
return  received  from  the  inhabitants  a  ])romise  of 
reformation.  The  Kev.  Jedidiah  Morse  preached  the 
opening  sermon  from  Ps.  118  :  25. 

The  teacher  of  "  these  unfortunate  people,"  as  the 
Portsmouth  Star  called  them  at  the  time,  was  a  Mr. 
Stevens,  who  was  also  their  spiritual  director  and  the 


■JW""" 


I  wvv'r'w'jri  ■  f  p*  piwinw)'- 


TJie  Isles  of  Shoals. 


191 


i 


f 


r. 


Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  died  011  Star  I>land  \\\ 
1804. 

Caleb  Chase,  of  Xewbiiryport,  came  to  tlie  isles  to 
teach  school  in  1811).  S[)<.'aking  of  liiinself  in  tlie 
book  of  record  he  says,  tliat  "  He  endeavored  to  ascci- 
tain  tlie  ages  of  the  people  generally,  but  many  of  tlicni 
had  lost  their  ages  for  the  want  of  a  record."  AI..0 
that  "  When  he  came  to  the  isles  there  were  on  S:ai- 
Island  eleven  families  and  two  solitaires,  iifty-two 
souls.  On  Smutty-nose  live  families  and  one  solitary, 
twenty-six  souls,  and  on  Hog  Island  one  family,  eight 
souls  ;  in  all,  eighty-six  souls." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  Sewell  arrived  on  a  '•  mission," 
in  September,  1824,  and  found  fourteen  families  and 
one  ''solitary"  on  Star  Island,  in  all  sixty-nine  per- 
sons. In  1832  the  i)opulation  had  increased  to  niiietv- 
nine.  From  1804  to  1845  no  town  meetinir  was  held. 
Since  that  period  the  improvement  has  been  steady, 
and  all  the  social,  political  and  religious  interest  culti- 
vated on  the  mainland  are  attended  to  here. 

But  while  1  have  digressed  in  giving  this  historical 
sketch,  the  result  of  much  labor,  my  friends  have  been 
kept  waiting  at  the  landing,  where  there  is  no  whaif, 
but  a  long  inclined  plane  built  of  plank,  descending 
under  the  water,  and  accommodatini>-  itself  to  e\erv 
state  of  the  tide.  Close  by  are  the  boat-houses,  and 
fartlier  on,  to  the  left,  is  the  private  residence  of  the 
Leighton  Brothers.  Across  the  lawn  stands  the  hotel, 
an   enormous  building  that  has  twice  duplicated   its 


192  The  Isles  of  Shoals. 

capacity,  and  now,  surmounted   by  its  Inigc  ob.^erva- 
tory,  appears  in   the  distance  like  some   old   baronial 
castle  fidl  of  quadrangular  nooks.     We  })erceive  at  a 
glance  that:  there  are  no  more  trees  on  the  island  than 
there  were  in  1G21,  when  Levett  landed,  yet  there;  is 
a  broad,  generous  piazza,   nearly  three   hundred  feet 
long,  having  at  the  end  a  higli  platform  large  enough 
for  a  ball-room,  completely   roofed  in,   but  open   at 
three  sides,  and  commanding  a  view  of  the  ocean, 
both  north  and  south.     We  hardly  miss  the  trees,  as 
the  air  is   so  cool,  even   rivaling  in   this   respect   the 
atm9S[)here    of   Homer's    Atlantis.      In    leaving    the 
mainland  there  is  a  complete  change,  and  a  fortnight 
spent  hei-e  will  afford  the  benefits  of  an  ocean  voyage, 
wholly  separated  from  its  often   disagreeable   experi- 
ence.    In  winter  also  the  climate  is  superior  to  that 
of  the  mainland.     Mr.  Tucke  used  to  say  that  in  this 
season  the  isles  were  "  a  thin  underwaistcoat  warmer" 
than  in  the  corresponding  latitude  ashore. 

From  a  careful  examination  of  Appledore,  it  ap- 
pears as  if  the  sea  once  separated  it  into  two  islands. 
A  valley  terminating  in  coves  at  each  end  runs  across 
it.  The  southern  part  is  the  highest,  standing  as  it 
does  ninety  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
northern  half  accommodates  the  hotel,  which  is  in  the 
little  valley  somewhat  sheltered  from  the  easterly 
winter  gales. 

Ascending  to  the  lofty  observatory,  which  affords   a 
splendid  outlook,  the  uneven,  rumpled  character  of 


The  Isles  of  Shoals.  193 

tliis  and  the  neighboring  isles  becomes  apparent.  Since 
the  rocks  rose  from  tlie  bosom  of  tlie  sea,  there  have 
been  many  convnlsions,  and  earthqnakes  have  oi)ened 
broad  seams  wliicli  were  iilled  by  tlie  mollen  trap 
Ix'iliDg  np  like  lava  from  ],eloNV.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  interest  here,  and  it  is  to  be  i-egretted  tha"  the 
State  Geologists  made  such  a  farce  of  their  survey. 
Ir  appeai-s  that  they  came  out  to  the  isles  in  the  rev- 
enue cutter  one  windy  day,  landed  at  two  or  tln-ee 
points,  concluded  that  there  was  consideral)le  surf 
running,  and  then  went  home  again,  taking  along  with 
them  a  couple  of  those  barbarous  sketches  which  dis- 
figure so  many  oificial  reports.  In  these  sketches 
Gosport  and  White  Island  would  find  it  impossible  to 
recognize  themselves. 

Appledore  is  just  half  a  nautical  mile  long  and 
about  three-eighths  of  a  mile  wide  in  its  broadest  or 
southern  part.  The  walk  around  it,  however  it  may 
seem,  scarcely  exceeds  a  mile  and  a  half.  It  is  quite 
fatiguing,  but  it  repays  the  labor.  Here  there  are 
none  of  those  tremendous  cliffs  which  at  Mount  De- 
sert look  down  upon  the  sea,  and  therefore  the  bold 
rocky  shore  may  be  always  followed.  In  part  there 
is  very  hard  scrambling,  by  reason  of  the  broad  rifts 
in  the  granite  and  gneiss  of  which  the  island  is  com- 
posed. The  most  of  these  are  still  paved  with  dark 
trap-rock  that  was  originally  level  with  the  surface. 
The  peculiar  structure  of  this  rock  causes  it  to  yield 
easily  to  the  force  of  the  waves,  and  thus  lonir  calle- 


. 


194 


The  Isles  of  S/ioals, 


rios  aro  foiniod  in  tlie  gi-anitc  from  ji  distance  ajipear- 
iii<j  like  the  uork  of  man.  In  sailin<r  around  tlii!  isles 
this  fcaturi;  is  very  noticeable,  as  tlu;  galleries  run  in 
Bonie  distance  at  iii»lit  angles  with  the  heacli. 

We  hc'^m  our  tour  at  the  north  side.  On  our  way 
thither  wc  passed  the  monument  of  the  late  |)r<)})rietor 
whose  giav(;  is  near  by.  This  is  a  plain  memorial 
fixed  iirndy  in  the  rock. 

]\rr.  Laighton  was  a  somewhat  ]iecuHar  character. 
At  one  time  he  took  ])art  in  2sew  Hampshire  })olitics. 
lie  aflerv  ards  }»ecame  dissatisfied  with  the  main,  and 
took  charge  of  Wliite  Island  Light,  where  he  lived 
for  six  vears.  AVhen  attention  beijan  to  be  turned  to 
the  isles,  he  built  a  small  hotel  on  Ap})ledore  for  the 
accommodation  of  visitors.  This  hotel  has  kej)t  pace 
in  its  growth  with  tlie  fame  of  the  isles,  which  has 
spread  all  over  the  Union.  For  the  last  twenty- 
five  years  of  his  life  Mr.  Laighton  never  once  visited 
the  l)usy  woild  over  the  waves.  Here  he  dv.elt  by 
himself,  occupying  the  position  of  Lord  of  the  Isles, 
and  when  he  died  his  remains  fitlv  fLvjid  a  restinij- 
place  within  the  sound  of  the  sea  which  he  loved  so 
well. 

Arrivinii"  at  the  cove  we  noticed  a  couple  of  fisher- 
men  catching  jierch,  using  rods,  as  for  trout,  notwith- 
standing the  waves  were  rolling  in,  booming  and 
blanching,  as  Tennyson  has  it,  on  the  rocks. 

Turning  westward,  we  came  to  what  is  called  tiie 
Greek  Cross,  formed  by  two  immense  channels  in  the 


Lte 


The  Isles  of  Shoals.  lo; 

rock  intoisoctin.nr  at  nVlit   nn-Ir^s.     (),:o  ,va.   formcrlv 
fill<'<I  will,  a  poor  nictaiiiorpliic  slate,  and  tlio  olhcr  u  iii, 
trap.      Hoih   liavc  Ikm-ii   vaUiw   out   hy    tlic   >v,\.     'JI„. 
evideiKM^  of  volraiiic  articM.  is  hen.^  vc'rv  vi>il,l,..     L,,„u- 
affor    iluM,-    orio-inal    formation,  tlic    is](s    w,.,,.    tinio 
MftcT  tinu'  rent  in  twain.     It  n.ay  l.c  (lillicult  to  roali/.- 
tlic    fact,  yet  the  time  luis    been   when    the    waves   of 
liquid   lire.  Inirstinu-   up   fnmi    tile    crn-at   molten    sra 
below,  vi.'d  in  tlieir  wrath  with  the  ocean  wave,  while 
the  brine-washed  rock  hissed  at  the  liery  sprav.      And 
^vilI  this  occur  arrain  ?     AVhittier  tells  us  that  when 

"  Goody  Cole  looked  out  from  her  door, 
The  Isles  of  Shoals  were  drowned  and  gone." 

This  may  some  day  take  place  in  earnest ;  for  we  do 
not  know  whether  the  earih.puike  shocks  that  hav(! 
been  felt  on  an  average  once  in  ten  years  at  a  sin-h; 
spot  on  yonder  main  es^r  since  the  country  was 
settled,  are  the  dying  growls  of  a  tempest  tliat  is  past. 
or  the  mutterings  of  a  storm  to  come.  At  any  i-at.- 
let  not  the  proprietors  suppose  that  I  am  in  league 
with  those  speculators  ulio  would  fain  buy  this  ish^ 

Clambering  along  among  the  rocks,  we  found  a 
broad  gulch  that  might  be  used  as  a  dry  dock.  Fr.;m 
this  point  may  be  had  a  view  of  Duck"^  Island  with  a 
single  old  building  on  it,  and  lying  north-east,  distant 
exactly  three-fourths  of  a  nautical  mile.  Northward,  in 
Maine,  is  Agamenticus.  Westward  is  Hampton  IJeach. 
and  Po  Hill,  which  hides  Whittiers  home.     Close  to 


196 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


the  sliore  the  ledges  are  everywhere  very  fine.  We 
returned  hy  the  sliingle  becach  on  the  south  shore, 
having  made  the  circuit  of  Iialf  the  island. 

It  was  some  time  before  sunset  that  we  set  out  to 
explore  the  remaining  and  more  interesting  portion  of 
Apjdcdore,  which  is  separated  from  the  rest  by  a 
stone  wall.  Passing  through  a  gate,  we  came  upon  a 
flock  of  sheep,  who  stared  at  us  for  a  minute,  and 
then,  following  their  leader,  ran.  Taking  the  west 
side  of  the  island,  we  walked  among  the  sheep-paths 
until  we  reached  the  ruins  of  the  old  settlement. 
Nothing  is  left  but  cellar  walls,  and  the  whole  vicin- 
age is  covered  with  elderberry  bushes,  upon  which 
was  fruit  enough  to  make  hogsheads  of  wine.  Occa- 
sionally the  ground  had  a  dark  rich  hue,  and  here  and 
there  something  was  still  left  to  indicate  that  "  once  a 
garden  smiled."  The  single  unoccupied  house  is  of  a 
modern  origin,  and,  standing  and  uncared  for  and 
alone,  it  looks  as  if  haunted. 

The  reason  why  this  spot  was  so  soon  deserted  is 
clear.  Tlie  fishermen  had  no  beach  for  their  boats. 
The  only  place  to  land  was  in  a  chasm  about  twenty- 
five  feet  wide  with  perpendicular  \\ix\h,  formed  by  the 
disintegration  of  the  trap-rock.  This  was  of  course 
insulfic'ent,  and  accordingly  they  sor<ght  the  shelter  of 
Star  and  1 1  ale  v. 

Farther  eastward  another  earth(|uake  record  is 
found  in  what  has  been  called  Neptune's  Gallery, 
with  perpendicular  scarred  walls,  high  and  far  apart, 


:i 


TJie  Isles  of  Shoals. 


197 


between  which  the  breakers  roll  in  with  a  sound  that 
is  well  nigh  dealeniiig.  xS'ear  this  ponit  the  rocks  are 
high  and  bold.  Farther  on,  around  the  point,  a  cove 
makes  into  the  shore,  the  rocks  bcinij  raijfmHl  and  dis- 
jointed,  and  piled  up  in  the  greatest  confusion.  Uc- 
turning  thence,  we  crossed  the  centre  of  the  island 
and  ap[)roached  the  cairn,  wliich  we  had  understood 
was  Smith's  ^ronument,  lately  erected  to  his  memory. 
This  cairn  is  about  ten  feet  high,  bulging  at  one  side, 
and  seeminj;  to  incline  like  "  Pisa's  lea'-dnu:  miracle." 
Determined  to  do  the  great  adventurer  homage,  I 
shoiddered  a  good-sized  fragment  of  granite,  and 
staggered  towards  the  cairn,  while  Amarinta  followed 
by  my  side,  bearing  a  tribute  of  more  delicate  i)ropor- 
tions.  These  were  reverently  added  to  the  pih; ;  and, 
mens  conscia  recti,  that  is  to  say,  ha})py  in  the  dehision 
of  a  duty  well  done,  we  sat  down  by  the  cairn  and 
spoke  of  the  great  man's  worth.  While  here  the 
day  came  to  an  end,  the  western  clouds,  ''ministering 
with  ij^lorious  faces  to  the  settin«i  sun."  At  the  same 
time  full-orbed  Luna  ap[)eared  in  the  east,  ])lushing 
as  from  our  praise  of  her  loveliness.  This  meeting 
of  Day  and  ^.'ight  was  as  if  Ivighteousness  and  Peace 
had  kissed  each  other. 

Gradually  the  splendor  of  sunset  died  away,  and 
the  dark  blue  sky  at  the  west  shading  oil"  at  the 
horiz(Ui  into  deep  purple,  which  threw  the  inky  tones 
of  se[)ia  u[)on  the  waves ;  while  eastward,  recovering 
from  the  embarrassment  that  attended  her  lirst  appear- 


iqS 


TJie  Isles  of  Shoals. 


aiice,  tlie  moon  looked  calmly  across  the  silvery  track 
foruacd  by  her  own  briMit  l)eaiiis  in  the  shimmeriiiiZ 
sea.  AVhen  the  moon  lose  hii;hei*,  sendiiiii;  lances  of 
light  down  the  western  slope  of  the  island  into  the 
ove  and  ont  across  towards  the  main,  the  scei.e 
cliaiiiicd  a<xain,and  where  before  all  was  indistiiiiiui.sh- 
abl(.'  in  tlni  twiliijjht's  liloom,  the  boats  and  vaclits 
came  ont  with  a  fairv-like  aspect,  rocking  on  th(;  tide, 
nhih;  the  voices  of  excursionists  bound  fn'  a  maon- 
liiiht  sail  were  borne  to  us  on  the  evening  air. 

On  retui-ning  to  the  Api)ledore  House  we  were 
quite  sho(dved  to  learn  that  our  respect  for  ("a[)taiu 
John  Smith  had  been  quite  thrown  away.  In  fact 
it  ap[)eared  that  this  was  not  the  monument  which 
had  been  erected  to  his  memorv,  but  one  that,  accord- 
iiig  to  tradition,  was  huilt  by  him.  1  was  (piiie  con- 
fused at  first  on  discoveriuii-  mv  mistake,  but  I  soon 
rallied  and  repaid  mv  informant  tenfdd.  l)v  letting 
liim  know,  as  already  stated,  that  nothing  exists  to 
indicate  that  Smith  ever  stepped  upon  these  isles.  1 
cruelly  f  jlhjwed  this  up  the  next  day  by  ferreting  out 
nninqjeachable  testimony  which  proves  that  the  cairn 
was  erected  oidy  about  seventy  years  ago  as  a  mark 
for  lishermen  in  iindin<i  the  beariuij  of  their  lishinu 
grounds. 

Boating  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals  is  a  favorite  amuse- 
ment. One  pleasant  day  we  rowed  to  a  number  of 
dirt'erent  points.  Our  lirst  harbor  was  Londonner's  or 
Lounging   Island,   a   rocky  spot    three-fourths    of  u 


TJic  Isles  of  SJtoals, 


199 


nautical  mile  soutli-wost  from  tlie  cove  at  Aj)|)l«'(l()re. 
The  iiortli  and  south  halves  v>t"  tins  island,  w  hich  is 
three-sixteenths  of  a  mile  louiji:,  are  connected  l>v  a 
narrow  neck  often  covered  at  hi<di  tide,  the  nu'an  lisc 
and  fall  of  which  is  ei<dit  feet  six  inches.  Knterinir 
the  cove  on  the  east  side,  we  found  the  llihernian 
fisherman,  who  dw*  lis  here,  out  in  a  boat  catchinijf 
perch  with  which  to  bait  his  trawls  for  cod.  lie  toM 
what  he  knew  about  his  craft,  after  which  we  put 
into  one  of  those  convenient  docks  fornu'd  by  the 
erosion  of  trap  dykes,  and  wen  ashore.  The  Hiber- 
nian in  ([uestion  can  say  with  Caliban,  "This  island's 
nnne.*'  lie  seemed  a  sort  of  Caliban  himself.  an<l  his 
boys  voun«j  Cidibans.  A  battered  wooden  cottaijo 
takes  the  i)lace  of  a  cave,  but  I  found  no  enchanter. 
It  appears  to  have  had  as  hard  usa<^e  as  its  owner.  A 
lish-like  odor  pervaded  the  air,  a  g(»at  was  i)ayinix  atten- 
tion to  the  moss  on  the  rocks,  while  some  chickens 
and  ducks  were  i)ickinij  uj)  a  living  around  the  door. 
AVe  looked  into  the  fish-house,  and  hurried  awav, 
quite  satisfied  with  what  we  saw. 

Three-fourths  of  a  mile  eastward  is  the  lu^ad  of 
While  Island.  This  island  is  nearly  one-fourth  of  a 
mile  long,  and  about  one-sixteenth  of  a  mil<!  wide. 
Here  stands  the  light-house.  From  this  point  Ports- 
mouth Lii»ht  bears  nearly  north  n(»rth-west;  lioon 
Island,  distant  ninetei'U  and  a  half  miles,  l)ears 
north-east  by  north,  three-fourths  east;  and  Hvo 
i\Iceting-lu)use,  nine  miles  distant,  north-west  by  west, 


200 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


oiio-half  west.     The  Head  is  separated  from  the   rest 
of  the  island  at  \\\A\.  tide. 

Towards  this  spot  we  now  turned  the  prow,  escorted 
by  a  lad  who  volunteered  to  serve  as  pilot.  AVhen  we 
approached  the  landing  at  the  liglit-house,  he  told  us 
that  he  had  never  been  ashore,  and  he  now  thouirht 
there  was  too  much  surf,  lie  acjordiuixly  ba(;ked  his 
boat  off,  and  we  rowed  in  to  reconnoitre.  While  con- 
sidering the  subject,  tiie  Light  Keeper,  who  was  on 
the  main  rock,  seeing  our  situation,  came  down  to  the 
little  bar  where  the  surf  was  breaking,  and,  watching 
liis  chance,  ran  through  the  water  and  came  opposite 
to  us.  Then  when  a  convenient  wave  rolled  in,  we 
rushed  the  boat  head  on  to  the  beach,  the  keeper  run- 
ning in  to  catch  her  bows.  Our  venture  was  success- 
ful, but  before  the  windlass  could  be  put  in  motion  to 
haul  the  boat  up  the  ways,  a  second  wave,  to  the  great 
consternation  of  Amarinta,  swashed  in  over  the  stern 
II  fidl  barrel  of  brine,  causing  a  precipitate  retreat 
over  tlie  thwarts  to  the  bows.  Finally  the  windlass, 
planted  high  up  the  beach,  Was  at  work,  and  the  boat 
was  drawn  u^)  out  of  the  surf.  The  keeper  then  led  the 
way  to  the  top  i>f  the  light- house,  situated  on  the 
highest  point  of  the  rock,  and  reached  by  a  covered 
bridge.  This  is  a  Fi'esnell  light.  Its  peculiarity  is 
that  it  has  a  single  burner  inclosed  in  a  sort  of  crvstal 
l>ala('e,  formed  of  heavy  glass  blinds,  through  which 
the  light  passes.  At  a  distance  this  light  shows  a 
great  power,  though  when  viewed  close  at  hand,  it 


T 


The  Isles  oj  Shoals, 


201 


attracts  but  little  attention.     The  entire  arrancremcnt 
was  imported  fm.n  France.     The  first-class  lenses  cost 
about  ten  thousand  dollars.     Fresnell,  the  inventor, 
has  now  revolutionized  the  whole  light-house  system! 
and  conferred  a  vast  benefit  upon  mankind.     This  is  a 
flash  light,  made  to  give  out  alternate  flashes  of  red 
and  white,  at  fifteen  seconds  each.     This   lantern   has 
one  curious  ef!ect.     Standing  by  its  side,  eighty-seven 
feet  above  the  water,  in   a  pleasant  day   it   will    l)e 
found  that  it  gathers  up  in  its  mighty  focal  grasp  the 
objects  on  Star  Island,  and  sets  them  down  again  out 
at   sea.     There,   for   instance,    is    the    meeting-house 
^vhich  stands   upon  Star   Island,  planted  firmly^jn  the 
uneasy  waves,  just  as  far  out  in  the  opposite  direction. 
The    keeper   lives    here   alone  with    his    assistatit, 
maintaining  bachelors'    hall.      In    the    summer   they 
have  a  good  many  visitors,  but  at  other  times  it  is 
quiet  enough ;  at  least,  so  they  say. 

xVnd  while  here  I  was  reminded  of  a  poem  that  ap- 
peared in  the  Allantic  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Thaxter, 
who.8  father  had  charge  of  the  light.  It  alludes  t.j 
the  wreck  of  the  Brig  Pochahontas,  lost  on  the  neigh- 
boring  shore. 

Some  persons  might  suppose  that  this  barren  rock 
would  prove  the  last  place  in  which  to  woo  the  Muses, 
yet  in  all  such  localities  hopeful  and  receptive  mind,- 
are  not  slow  in  discovering  both  benefits  and  beaut ie.. 
Alexander  Smith,  wandering  for  a  summer  in  the 
rocky   island   of  Skye,  almost   imagined   himself  in 


202  The  Isles  of  Shoals. 

Paradise.     Tliis  is  in  accordance  with   the  remark  of 
Goethe  :  "  Let  no  one  say  that  the  reality  lacks  poeti- 
cal interest."     It  is  both  the  custom  and  the  right  of  a 
class  of  minds  to  see  everywhere  what  they  i)lcase  ;  for 
there  are  really  no  asymptotes   in   nature.     Extremes 
always  meel,  barrcui\ess  itself  running  into   beauty. 
It  demands  no  strain  upon  the  imagination  in  order  to 
discover  rare  attractions  among  these  isles,  especially  in 
the  autumn,  when  the  brightest  coloring  is  found,  and 
when  from  a  distance  the;'  flash  in   the   blue  sea  like 
some  Imge  crystal  of  iridescent  Labrador  spar.     But 
we  were  speaking  of  the  poem.    Its  merit  alone  would 
certainly  justify  its  appearance  here,  while,  as  the  pro- 
ductioii  of  what  we  may  call  a  resident,  its  insertion 
is  on  the  whole  demanded  : 

'•  I  lit  the  lamps  in  the  lighthouse  tower, 

For  the  sun  dropped  down  and  tJio  day  was  dead ; 
They  shone  like  a  glorious  clustered  flower, 
Ten  golden  and  five  red. 

Looking  across,  where  the  line  of  coast 
Stretched  darkly,  shrinking  away  from  the  sea, 

The  lights  sprang  out  at  its  C(lge,-alraost 
They  seemed  to  answer  me. 

O  warning  lights,  burn  bright  and  clear, 
Hither  the  storm  comes !    Leagues  away 

It  moans  and  thunders  low  and  drear,— 
Burn  till  the  break  of  day  ! 

Good  night !    I  called  to  the  gulls  that  sailed 

«low  past  me  through  the  evening  sky; 
And  my  comrades,  answering  shrilly,  liailod 

AIo  back  Avith  boding  cry. 


.  The  Isles  of  Shoals, 

A  mournful  breeze  be^an  to  blow, 

Weird  music  it  drew  throu<?li  the  iron  burs, 

The  sullen  billows  boiled  below, 
And  dimly  peered  the  stars; 

The  sails  that  flecked  the  ocean  floor 
From  east  to  west  leaned  low  and  fled; 

They  knew  w  hat  came  in  the  distant  roar 
That  tilled  the  air  with  dread! 

Flunj?  by  a  fltlul  gust,  there  beat 
Against  the  window  a  dash  of  rain: 

Steady  as  tramp  of  marching  feet 
Strode  on  the  hurricane. 

It  emote  the  waves  for  a  moment  still, 

Level  and  deadly  white  for  fear; 
The  bare  rock  shuddered,— an  awful  thrill 

Shook  even  my  tower  of  cheer. 

Like  all  the  demons  loosed  at  last. 

Whistling  and  shrieking,  wild  and  wide, 

The  mad  wind  raged,  and  strong  and  fast 
lloUed  in  the  rising  tide. 

And  soon  in  ponderous  showers  the  spray, 
Struck  from  the  granite,  reared  and  sprung, 

And  clutched  at  tower  and  cottage  gray. 
Where  ovei  whelmed  they  clung 

Half  drowning,  to  the  naked  rock; 

But  still  burned  on  the  laithful  light, 
Isor  laltered  at  the  tempest's  shock, 

Through  all  the  fearful  night. 

Was  it  in  vain?    That  knew  not  wo. 

Wo  seemed,  in  that  confusion  vast 
Of  rushing  wind  and  roaring  sea. 

One  point  whereon  was  cast 

The  whole  Atlantic's  weight  of  brine. 

Heaven  help  the  ship  should  drift  our  way! 
Jfo  matter  how  the  light  might  shiuo 

Far  ou  into  the  day. 


20 


.• 


f 

204  The  Isles  of  Shoals.  ' 

When  morninpr  dawned  above  flio  din 

Of  gale  and  breaker  boomed  a  gun  ' 
Anothorl    H'e,  who  sat  within, 
Answered  with  cries  each  one. 

Jnfo  cacli  otiier's  eyes  with  fear 

We  Joolved,  throu-h  helpless  tears,  ae  etlU. 
One  after  one,  near  and  more  near, 

The  signals  pealed,  until 

The  tJiick  storm  seemed  to  break  apart 

lo  show  us,  staggering  to  her  grave, 
Tlie  fated  brig.    We  had  no  heart 

To  look,  for  naught  could  save. 

One  glimpse  of  black  hull  l.eaving  slow 

Then  closed  the  mists  o'er  canvas  torn 
And  tangled  ropes,  swept  to  and  fro 

Irora  masts  that  raked  forlorn. 

Weeks  after,  yet  ringed  round  with  spray. 

Our  island  lay,  and  none  might  land; 
1  hough  blue  the  waters  of  the  bay 

Stretched  calm  on  eitlier  hand. 

And  when  at  last  from  the  distant  sliore 

A  little  boat  stole  out,  to  reach 
Our  loneliness,  and  bring  once  more 

Fresh  human  thought  and  speech. 

Wo  told  our  tale,  and  the  boatmen  cried:      • 
1  wa«  the  l'ocahontas,-alJ  were  lost  ! 
•    -Formilcs  along  the  coast  the  tide 
Uer  shattered  timbers  tost.' 

Then  I  looked  the  whole  horizon  round.^ 

So  beautiful  the  ocean  spread 
About  us.  o'er  those  sailore  drowned  1 

'Father  in  heaven,'  I  said, 

A  child's  grief  struggling  iu  my  breast, 

Oo  purposely  thy  creatures  meet 
Such  bitter  death  ?    How  was  it  best 
1  heso  hearts  should  cease  to  beat  ? 


I 

J 


.  The  Isles  of  Shoals,  205 

*  O  wherefore !    Are  wo  naught  to  thoo? 

Like  sen.selesp  weeds  that  rise  aud  fall 
Upon  thine  an ful  8oa,  are  we 

Jio  more  then,  after  all?' 

And  I  sliut  the  beauty  from  my  sight, 
For  I  thought  of  the  dead  that  lay  below, 

From  the  bright  air  faded  the  warmth  and  light, 
There  came  a  chill  like  snow. 

Then  1  heard  the  far-off  rote  resound, 
Where  the  breakers  slow  and  slumberous  rolled, 

And  a  subtle  scuse  of  Thought  profound 
Touched  mo  with  power  untold. 

And  like  a  voice  eternal  spake, 
That  wondrous  rhythm,  and  '  Peace,  be  still!' 

It  murmured;  ♦  bow  thy  head,  and  take 
Lite's  rapture  and  life's  ill, 

And  wait.    At  last  all  shall  bo  clear.' 

The  long,  low,  mellow  music  rose 
And  fell,  and  soothed  my  dreaming  ear 

With  intlnito  repose. 

Sighing,  I  climbed  the  lighthouse  stair, 

Half  forgetting  my  grief  and  pain; 
And  while  the  day  died,  sweet  and  lair, 

I  lit  the  lamps  again." 

On  leaving  the  island  we  had  to  watch  our  chance, 
notwithstanding  it  was  such  pleasant  weather.  First 
the  Assistant  got  off  iu  a  little  boat  to  pick  us  up  in 
case  of  a  mishap.  This  was  very  easily  done,  as  he 
was  used  to  it,  and  then  we  ran  our  boat  down  and 
put  Amarinta  in,  protesting,  and  declaring  that  it 
would  never  do.  The  right  minute  came,  we  shoved 
out  on  the  undertow,  sprang  to  the  oars,  and  were 
safe.     Getting  off  at  a  convenient  distance,  we  find 


206 


The  Isles  of  Shoals, 


that  the  Iiead  on  wliid,  the  liglitliouse  stands  is  a  voiy 
beautiful  ohjcct,  and,  witli  a  iisliing-sniack  thnnvn  in, 
wouki,  make  a  line  [)icture. 

Our  course  was  next  shaped  for  Star  Island  or 
Gos])ort,  the  western  cove  of  which  is  thirteen-six- 
teenths  of  a  mile  from  the  lighthouse.  There  is  no 
wharf  and  never  has  been  here,  though  in  17GG  the 
people  petilioned  for  the  privilege  of  getting  up  a  lot- 
tery  to  build  one.  At  low  water  it  is  dillicult  to  get 
ashore,  but  there  is  no  trouble  generally  on  account 
of  the  surf.  ]iy  making  a  bridge  of  skiffs  we  reached 
the  sandy  beach  with  dry  shoes. 

Gosport  is  five-eightlis  of  a  mile  long  and  one  half 
a  mile  wide,  presenting  the  most  perfect  picture  of  a 
fisherman's  village  that  I  have  seen  on  the  ^'ew-En^r. 
land  coast,     teaching  the  shore,  we  of  conrse  came  hi 
contact  with  the  fish,  and  exi)erienced  the  -pungent 
odor  of  o'erboiling  tar,"  so  that,  with  old   Ben   Jon- 
son,   one  would  fain    '' sacrifice   two-pence    worth  of 
juniper  "  to  appease  his  offended  nose.     The  children 
were  in   force,  there  being  a  due  proportion  of  girls 
and  boys,  and  among  the  latter,  perhaps,  some  little 
Enoch  Arden.     Here  they  played 

"  Among  the  M-astc  and  lumber  of  f  lie  shore, 
Hard  coils  of  cordaj^o,  swarthy  tishin;?-uets, 
Anchors  of  rusty  fluke,  and  boats  updrawn'; 
And  built  their  castles  of  dissolving  sand." 

We   made   our   way   through   all   this    customary 
debris,  to  which  was  now  added  the   charred  remains 


The  Isles  of  Shoals,  207 

of  a  recent  fire  tluit  destroyed  a  imiiiber  of  l)uildiiiirs, 
and   reached   tlie   narrow   way    that    answered    fnr^a' 
street,    in    winch    "twa    wlieelharrows   trend)le   wlion 
they  meet."     Thence  we  fared  forth,  like   .lOneas   at 
Cartha-e,  to  exph.re  the  stranger  clime,  and  find  what 
land  this  might  he,  and  hy  wliat  inhahitants  possessed. 
To  accomplish  this  the  more  intelligently,  we  repaired 
at  once  to  the  house  of  the  worthy  and  ohliging  Town 
Clerk,   who  brought   out   the   records   and  put   us   in 
immediate  connection  with  l)oth  the  present  and  the 
past,  adding  various   comments  at  the  same   time   on 
men   and    things.     Much  of  what  lias   already   been 
given  of  the  history  of  Gosport  was  drawn  from  this 
valuable  repository,  which  brainless  visitors   of  these 
latter  days  have  sought  to  render  still   more  precious, 
by  entrusting  to   its   keeping  their  autographs,  with 
remarks. 

Having  taken  numerous  notes,  we  threaded  our 
way  to  the  old  meeting-house,  concerning  which  the 
records  have  considerable  to  say.  We  found  the 
minister  there,  with  his  coat  oflT,  trowel  in  hand,  and 
hard  at  work  making  repairs.  AVe  bade  him  irood 
morrow,  and  made  bold  to  say  that  we  hoped  he 
was  not  daubing  with  "  untempered  mortar;"  which 
he  trowed  not,  as  it  was  Roman  cement.  Thus  easily 
we  made  one  another's  acquaintance,  after  which  ho 
swung  open  the  door  and  invited  us  to  enter,  showing 
at  the  same  time  the  new  floor  which  he  had  laid  down, 
the  seats  he  had  refitted,  and  the  neat  chairs  that  he  had 


208  The  Isles  of  Shoals, 

madi!  for  tlie  pulpit,  nil  of  which  showod  tliat,  like  the 
great  raiil,  ho  could  labor  with  his  own  hands.  This 
good  and  worthy  man  came  here  oriirinallv  for  the 
henelit  of  his  lu'jdth,  and  has  since  remained  for  the 
most  of  the  time,  servin<,^  the  islanders,  not  only  as 
their  minister,  hut  as  physician,  general  adviser  and 
friend.  'I'he  structun;  is  a  quaint  one.  The  tip  of 
the  spire  is  forty-two  feet  from  the  ground,  and  may 
be  seen  at  a  distance  of  twenty-live  miles.  The  build- 
ing is  ricldy  in  keeping  with  everything  on  the  island. 
Its  little  bell  hanging  in  the  belfry  calls  the  children 
to  school  and  the  peoj)le  to  church,  though  the  school 
is  now  held  in  a  se[)arate  building.  The  weathercock 
is  also  worth  noticing.  When  put  up,  an  entiy  was 
made  in  the  records,  noting  that  the  people  found  it 
expensive,  and  adding  the  pious,  and  slightly  poetical, 
remark  :  '•  May  their  own  hearts  yield  to  the  breath- 
ings of  the  Divine  Spirit  as  that  vane  does  to  the 
■winds." 

Leaving  this  venerable  place  we  went  southward 
and  found  a  little  burial-ground  in  a  dej)ressi()n  of  the 
rocks.  It  ha'l  been  prepared  with  much  labor  and 
pious  care.  The  earth  had  evidently  been  collected 
with  dilliculty,  as  is  the  case  almost  everywhere  ou 
the  isles.  Yet  there  appears  to  be  no  disposition  to 
hew  out  sepulchres  in  the  rocks.  Perhaps  they  ap- 
prove the  sentiment  of  that  prelate  who  said  with  his 
last  breath,  *•  Bury  me  in  the  sunshine  ;"  still  many 
of  the  fishermen  never  need  a  tomb,  as  they  suffer 
hydriotaphia  in  the  sea. 


•ynmmm 


It 


T/u-  Is/rs  of  S/imi/s.  20cj 

JoIimS,,,,,!,.  This  ,i„u.  „.,.  f,.!,,  s,„.„  of  o,„.  J,.,„|. 
tiMmgh  u|,at  M,a,l,.  „s  s„  |,„si,iv,.  „,„  „,.t  ll„.  i„.,Ti|,. 
'"";.    wl,i,.|,    i„    ,1„    „.,,,i„.   ,i.,,t   „,^   ^„„|,,   ,^^^^.,1^. 

'^r''''''"'"''  '""  ''  "■••'«  "'■J^- '  (■'•'""  11.0  llir,.,    l„.,,,ls    nn- 

innj?  Ilm  ..,,nK.,-.s  of  ,1,,.  ...,,iu,l  ,,r  ,  ,,i,u,,.,lar  ,n,.rl,L 

c..lu„uul,af,  n.s,,.,l  oM  .-t  |H.,l..sh,l  of  ,^.,oiss  ;  fo,.  ,|i,|  not 
t^^ipl.i".  .T<.Iiii  S,„i,l,  -.Tlicvo  fl,m.  'I'niks  of  tlioi,.  on 
^Mal  n,.pe„,l,..,..s  on  one  occasion   in   sin.^Ic  con.l.at? 
At  least  ho  s„p/,o.sc,/  ll,at  l,c  ,11,1.  an,l  to  .-onnncn.oratc 
.Jo  ovcn^  „an,,.,l  ,ln-cc  islan,ls  off  Capo  Ann  the  Tln.o 
J.".'ks   I[,.a,ls.     Tl,.,.  na.no  ,li,l  not  s.l,.k,  l,„t  1,!,  a,l. 
"""■«<i-s  l,av,.  co„,e  to  tl.o  ro.scno.  an,l  fri.-kcl  ont  tl.o 
story  ,n  .s,,li,l  n.aPl.lo.    It  is  to  l.c  hope]  that  tI,o  storv 
of  tlmt  a,I^xM,t,„.o  is  not  cjnito  so  a,,oc,yphal  as   hi^ 
d..scovo,.y     of  those  i.Ies.     StiU,  since  the  iconoclast 
l.as  .■ol,be,l  ns  of  the  r„„,antio  story  of  Pocahontas,  wo 
mnst  receive  it  with  care. 

From  tho  general  appearance  of  this  monnment  we    • 
nii.y  It  iniasino  that  a  committee  of  the  subjects  of  the 
i>uM,me  Porte  had  conspircl  to  make  onr  I'lero  ri,licu- 
lous,  ont  of  revenge  for  the  slaughter  inflicfcl  upon 
their  ancestors  ;  yet  instea,!  of  being  the  work  of  three 
vi.ahctivo  Turks,  it  appears  to  have  originate,!  from 
an  wjual  number  of  ]'osp,.ctable  Christians.     To  saxo 
the  yisitoi-  from  tho  jmrgatorial  tusk  of  docinheri.,,. 
Ao  msc,-ip,ions,  I  will  p„t  thorn  into  legible  print! 
Un  one  side  we  read  : 

"  John  Smith  was  born  at  AVilloughby,  Linconshire, 


2IO  TJlc  Isles  of  Shoals. 

4 

EiiglaiHl,  in  ir>70,  and  (lied  ill  London  in  IGol,  nged 
52  years,  lie  was  Oovornor  of  Virijinia,  and  snbse- 
qut'iitly  Admiral  of  New  England.  Those  Isles  [im'''] 
properly  called  Smith's  Isles,  were  discovered  by  liim 
in  April,  1G14,  while  with  eight  others,  in  an  open 
boat,  he  was  exploring  the  coast  from  Penobscot  to 
Cape  Cod." 

On  another  we  are  told  that, 

"  Capt.  John  Smith  was  one  of  'nature's  noblemen.* 
In  his  generosity  toward  the  public  he  almost  forgot 
himself;  those  who  knew  him  best  loved  him  most, 
and  say  of  him  :  '  In  all  his  proceedings  he  made 
virtue  his  first  guide,  and  experience  his  second ; 
despising  baseness,  sloth,  pride,  and  indignity,  more 
than  any  dangers ;  he  would  never  allow  more  for 
himself  than  for  his  soldiers,  and  to  no  danger  would 
he  expose  them  which  he  would  not  share  himself. 
lie  would  never  see  any  in  want  of  what  he  had,  or 
could  get  for  them  ;  he  would  rather  want  than  bor- 
row, or  starve  than  not  pay ;  he  loved  action  more 
than  words,  and  hated  covetousness  and  falsehood 
more  than  death  ;  his  adventures  were  for  their  lives, 
and  his  loss  was  their  deaths.' " 

The  third  face  testifies, 

*'  In  reward  of  Ids  valor,  the  Prince  of  Transylvania 
presented  to  Captain  John  Smith  his  picture  set  in 
gold,  gave  him  a  pension  of  300  ducats,  and  granted 
him  a  coat-of-arms  bearing  three  Turks'  heads  in  a 
shield  with  the  motto  :  '  Yincere  est  vivere.'     In  1G27, 


The  Isles  of  Shoals. 


2\  I 


ngcd 

[im'O 

y  him 

open 

30t   to 


n 


emen. 

forgot 
most, 
made 

ecoiid  ; 

,  more 

pre  for 
would 

Himself. 
:id,  or 
bor- 
more 
ehood 
L-  lives, 


Ivaiiia 
set  ill 
ranted 

Is  in  a 
1G27, 


vSmitli  savs  :  '  T  have  spent  live  years  aud  more  than 
i'A)0  ])ouiids  in  tlie  service  of  Virij^inia  and  New  Kiiu- 
land,  hut  in  neither  liave  I  one  foot  of  land,  nor  the 
verv  house  I  built  witli  my  own  hands,  and  am  com- 
Iielhid  to  see  those  countries  shared  before  me  among 
those  wlio  knew  tliem  only  l)V  my  descriptions.'  Con- 
sideration  of  tlie  interestiiiir  facts  of  his  life  has  led  to 
the  erection  of  this  monnment,  A.  1).  18G4." 

Such  is  the  monument  that  tlie  New  World  ijives 
to  the  heroic  and  magnanimous  Ca[)tain  John  Smitli. 
This  is  the  nnkindest  cut  of  all.  Better  far  would 
have  been  a  simi)le  cairn.  As  one  of  the  explorers 
of  New  Enjjland,  he  did  mnnX  service,  although  antiei- 
pated  by  Champlain,  who  has  the  prior  right  to  a 
monument.  His  career,  when  stripped  of  all  liction, 
still  presents  sufficient  to  admire,  and  in  whatever 
aspect  he  may  be  viewed  he  will  always  a})pear  as  a 
remarkable  man.  He  deserved  something  ])ett(n-  than 
this  ;  built,  too,  upon  the  mainland,  wlierc  his  dis- 
coveries lay,  and  upon  which  he  unquestionably  trod. 
But  he  can  afford  to  wait. 

Beyond  this  place  is  found  what  is  calh^l  i\Iiss 
Underwood's  Ivock,  named  after  the  teacher  of  tlie 
scliool,  who  while  sitting  here  reading  a  book  was 
swept  off'  by  a  wave.  No  less  than  three  young  girls 
have  since  perished  at  the  same  place.  Every  one 
who  comes  here  wishes  to  know  how  it  occurred.  Let 
them  in  future  restrain  their  curiosity  and  keep  away 
from  the  boominjx  surf. 


'■)i»»fi«#7!S).Lujji,,^ui^iiL,piii)iu»  mm, 


212 


T/ie  Isles  of  Shoals. 


Some  distance  to  the  eastward  is  a  luiue  rift  called 
"Bettv  IMoody's  Cave."  It  is  said  that  in  the  French 
war,  when  the  Indians  wei'e  committing  depredations 
all  along  the  coast,  one  Betty  Moody  here  secreted 
herself  and  children  fiom  the  wrath  of  the  savages. 
I  give  it,  however,  as  a  tradition,  unsupported  by  con- 
temj)oraneous  autliorities. 

Another  story  is  also  told  in  regard  to  a  minister  of 
the  same  name,  who  })reached  to  the  islanders.  It 
ap})ears  that  one  of  their  fishing  boats  had  been  lost 
with  the  entire  crew,  in  Ipswich  Bay.  During  a 
sermon,  in  which  Mr.  IMoody  sought  to  "improve" 
upon  this  sad  event,  lie  said :  "  Supposing,  my  breth- 
ren, any  of  you  should  be  overtaken  in  the  bay  by  a 
north-east  storm,  your  hearts  trembling  with  fear,  and 
nothing  before  you  but  death,  whither  would  your 
thoughts  turn?  what  would  you  do?"  To  this  he 
received  the  unexpected  reply  from  an  old  sailor, 
who,  unable  to  repress  himself,  promptly  said :  "  I 
would  hoist  the  foresail  and  s'cud  away  for  Squam ! " 

In  this  vicinity  the  rocks  are  fine  and  the  shore 
bold,  its  outline  forming  the  letter  M  with  its  top  to 
the  islands,  not  a  foot  of  land  now  intervening  be- 
tween us  and  the  Old  World ;  yet  we  did  not  delay, 
but  returned  throuiih  the  villac^e  and  went  to  the 
north-west  end  of  the  island  to  view  the  remains  of 
an  old  fort.  On  the  way,  we  passed  another  burial 
ground,  from  which  it  appears  that  here  the  living 
are  less  numerous  than  the  dead.     It  is  generally  tho 


)> 


The  hies  of  Shoals.  213 

c«.ew;thi.sla.Kl.;    Lowevo.  fn,i,f,„   i„  „,,„,,„     ^„. 
>I»cf.     they  con.un,e   more  ,].„.  ,1,.^  vicld;  a,ul  if 
r.-o  .  .c  as  cnullos,  ,hey  a,o  more  bonn.if,,!  a    grave 
Lu   let  us  not  n.e.li.a.e  na>ong  the  tombs.  " 

Ihefortalhuled  .0  was  in  eondition  prior  to    ,l,e 
Kevohttton,  and  mounted  nine  fb„r.,,ounders.     Win 

0  war  broke  out  ,i,e,  .ere  removed  ,0  the  n^ain 
Uud  The  work  was  constructe.l  clnelly  of  stone  und 
could  not  have  had  very  hi.di  w-dls  Tt  '  ^'.'"'^ 
fifty  leet  square.  Here  is  where  the  Cross  of  Kin. 
George  floated  in  eolonial  times,  when  the  ,,eo,  : 
i;-  "I  <l..o  respect  ,0  the  reigning  power.     (  ne  o 

.1.0  last  eutrtes  in  the  reeord  book,  prior  .0  the  di 
l--on  of  the  people,  is  d:.ted  Wareh   11,  17  V    I 
give  U  verbatim:   ^.  For    histing  the   fla.   ,0  I  enrv 
Andres,  20."     This  was  probacy  the  Ih^l  wa"     ^^ 

locked  by  revolution.  •' 

AVe  went  thence  toward  the  lat.din^  a-ai.,   ,r,s.in,r 
on  the  way  a  iish-honse  that  had  been  lle^ot-  t'e     2 
evergreen  frotn  the   mainland,  preparatory  to  hoh  i 
a  fatr  for  the  benefit  of  the  school.     The  profusion  of 
young  forest  trees,  with  which  the  place  w.'s  dccorat^ 
J^.l  ..s    to  thtnk  that    liirnam-s  wood   ha.I   come   to 
Dunsmaue.      Afterwards    we    rambled    anton.    ,],o 
.OU.CS,  and  noticed  a  hotel  i„  process  of  erec,';:,n  to 
take  the  place  of  an  old  one  destrovd   by  fire      At 
the  same  time  we  su.hlenly  heard  a  g,  • ,,    shouting  on 
the  beach,  winch  was   taken   up  elsew,.ere,  uutif  all 


I  i|i|«,,HlWSui_i,  juiiypjii. 


214  TJic  Isles  of  Shoals. 

Gosport  rang  with  a  hue  and  aery,  ending  witli  a  gen- 
eral rush  of  ohl  and  young  for  the  boats.  At  Inst  we 
thought  that  the  ishuid  was  going  down,  or  at  least 
that  a  school  of  porpoises  had  entered  the  cove  ;  but 
ultimately  it  appeared  tliat  tlie  uproar  was  caused  ])y 
the  arrival  of  a  steamer  from  Newburyport,  loaded 
with  excursionists.  In  the  ears  of  the  Shoalites,  the 
music  of  the  brass  band  was  of  itself  inspiring,  but 
then  what  was  all  this  compaied  with  the  live  hundred 
dimes  prospectively  placed  in  their  emi)ty  pockets  ? 
In  tlieir  financial  economy,  it  was  as  reviving  as  rain 
u[)on  tlie  parched  earth.  Accordingly  every  boy  wlio 
could  paddle  a  tub,  put  off  from  shore,  the  Town 
Clerk  amonir  the  lest,  with  his  vawl,  the  ileet  of  boats 
appearing  around  the  great  steamer,  like  so  many 
minnows  around  a  whale.  Soon  the  whole  party  was 
safely  put  ashore,  and  went  trooping  among  the  rocks 
to  fnul  IJetty  Moody's  Cave,  and  inaugurate  a  great 
day  in  Gosport. 

As  for  ourselves,  we  quietly  rowed  to  Haley's 
Island,  or  Smutty-Nose,  distant  one-fourth  of  a  mile. 
Approaching  the  landing,  we  noticed  a  large  brown 
house  with  the  word  ''  IIotkll"  painted  in  huge  let- 
ters on  one  end.  At  the  landing  is  a  wharf,  on  the 
east  side  of  which  there  is  room  for  a  con  [do  of  vessels 
that  are  protected  on  the  east  side  by  a  stone  wall, 
which  also  connects  a  detached  portion  of  the  isle 
with  Smutty  Nose.  In  this  inclosed  situation  a  vessel 
is  safe  in  the  heaviest  gale.     This  was  built   by  the 


The  Isles  of  Shoals.  3 1 5 

person   after  whom  ,I,e  i.la,,,!   ,va,s   formerly   c.llo.l 

llie     Ilotell"  .iKlnot   wear  a  very  i„viti„.  anpe.r- 

ance  a,K   we  passed  by  and  went  on  a  stroiro,'.!  u'e 

...and  where  we  fonnd  considerable  grass  Ja.id.     !„  an 

""enclosed  space  was  the  grave  of  ,he  In.ilder  of  ,ho 

dock.     A  plain  stone  bore  the  following  rude  inscrip- 
tioii :  o  ifj 

'h.  18  1  Aged  84.     lie  was  a  man  of  great  ingenn- 
Uy,  Indnstry,  Honor  &  honesty,  trne  to  his  country 
&  A  man  who  did  A  great  pnblilc  good  in  liuihling  A 
Dock  &  Beceiving  in.o  his  inclosnre  many  a  poor  dis- 
tressed Seaman  &  Fisherman  in  dis.ress  of  A\-eather  " 
^earbymay  also  be  seen   the  Spaniards' Caves, 
where  he  the  remains  of  fourteen  shipwrecked  sailors 
each  marked  by  a  rude  stone.     It  is  to  their  fote  that 
AVhitticr  refers  when  he  brings  fo.ward  his  old  <isher- 
u>an    lean  as  a  cnsk   from    Labrador,   who  told   of 
wrecks  and  storms,  had  seen  the  sea-serj,cnt, 

"An,!  heard  the  ghost,  „„  itaicy,  i„c  complain. 
Speak  hn„  offshore,  a,,d  beg  a  passage  to  old  Spain." 

Of  the  islanders,  nothing  definite  could  be  learned 
about  tins  affair ;  but,  in  searching  the  records  of 
t.osi)ort,  I  found  the  following  entry : 

'vShip  Sagunto  Strand  'on  Smotinose  He  Jann4- 
181J.  Jan>  lo  one  man  fo.m  K!'"  G  mend  fonnd  21- 
7    thexNumberof  menyet  found  Belonging  to  said 


"W^ 


2l6 


TJic  Isles  cf  Shoals. 


sliil)   twelve."       The   scribe  dropped   two   in    liis   ad- 
dition. 

From  some  old  newspapers  of  the  day,  it  appears 
that  this  shi[)  was  from  Cadiz,  k)aded  witli  provisions, 
and  commanded  by  a  Captain  Don.  She  went  to 
pieces  soon  after  stl•andini,^  and  a  portion  of  the  ear^o, 
consisting  of  nuts  and  raisins,  was  thrown  n])on  the 
sliore,  togetlier  witli  bales  of  clothing  made  of  broad- 
cloth. It  was  also  believed  that  the  ship  contained 
considerable  money,  as  gold  and  silver  coins  were 
washed  out  upon  the  sliore.  The  ship  was  of  three  or 
four  hundred  tons  capacity,  built  of  cedar  and  mahog- 
any, and  very  old.  One  account  savs  t!iat,  '•  Much 
<n-edit  is  due  to  the  inhabitants  of  these  barren  rocks 
for  their  instantaneous  launching  forth  their  boats  in 
a  violent  snow  storm,  the  moment  they  discovered  the 
wreck,  in  hope  of  being  able  to  rescue  from  a  watery 
grave  the  crew  of  the  ship."     Mrs.  Thaxter  writes  : 


"  O  sailors,  did  sweet  eyes  look  after  you, 

TIio  day  you  sailed  away  Ironi  «>  Miy  Spain  ? 
Bright  eyes  tliat  followed  fadiu<r  siiip  and  crew, 

Melting  in  lender  rain  ? 

Did  no  one  dream  of  that  drear  night  to  be, 

Wild  with  the  wind,  fierce  with  the  stinging  snow, 
>Vhcn,  on  yon  granite  point  that  Irets  the  sea, 

The  ship  met  her  death-blow  ? 

Fifty  long  years  ago  thes^o  sailors  died  : 

(None  know  how  many  sleep  beneath  tlie  waves:) 
Fourteen  gray  headstones,  rising  side  by  side, 

I'oiut  out  their  nameless  graves,— 


The  Isles  of  SJioals.  217 

Lonely,  unknown,  deserted,  but  for  me, 

And  the  wild  birds  that  flit  with  mournful  cry, 
Aud  sadder  winds,  and  voices  of  the  sea 

That  moans  perpetually. 

Wives,  mothers,  maidens,  wistfully,  in  vain 

Questioned  the  distance  for  the  yearning'  sail. 
That,  leaning  landward,  should  have  stretched  again 

White  arms  wide  on  the  gale, 

To  bring  back  their  beloved.    Year  by  year, 

AV'cary  they  watched,  till  youth  and  beauty  passed, 
And  lustrous  eyes  grew  dim,  and  age  drew  near. 

And  hope  was  dead  at  last. 

Still  summer  broods  o'er  that  delicious  land. 

Rich,  tragraut,  warm  with  skies  of  golden  glow: 
Live  any  yet  of  that  lorsaken  band 

Who  loved  so  long  ago? 

O  Spanish  women,  over  the  far  seas. 

Could  I  but  show  you  where  your  dead  repose ! 
Could  I  send  tidings  on  this  northern  breeze. 

That  strong  and  steady  blows! 

Dear  dark-eyed  sisters,  you  remember  yet 

These  you  have  lost,  but  you  can  never  know 
One  stands  at  their  bleak  graves  whose  eyes  are  wet 

With  thinking  of  your  woe!  " 

This  island  is  half  a  mile  long  and  less  in  width. 
The  land  is  flat.  On  the  western  part  there  is  consid- 
erable good  grass.  A  woman  by  the  name  of  Piisley 
died  here  in  1795.  She  kept  two  cows  somewhere 
on  one  of  the  isles,  and  cut  in  the  summer  all  the 
hay  they  needed  in  winter  with  a  knife.  The  poor 
woman's  cows  were  taken  by  the  British  in  177o  and 
killed.  To  their  credit  we  must  add  iliat  they  })aid 
for  them.      It  is  related,  however,   that  she  was  in- 


2l8 


TJic  Isles  of  SJioals. 


consolable.  The  cuttle  and  sheep  do  very  well  here 
now. 

There  are  oidy  a  few  buildings  on  the  island, 
though  once  they  boasted  of  an  academy  ;  and  it  is 
said,  tliougli  I  cannot  verify  the  report,  that  at  an 
early  jieriod  students  came  here  from  the  mainland  to 
pursue  their  studies.  Possibly  they  came  as  well  to 
save  their  scalps  as  to  improve  the  region  situated 
underneath. 

And  speaking  of  houses  reminds  me  of  another 
story,  to  the  effect  that  a  storm  once  canied  away  one 
of  the  houses  entire  to  Cajie  Cod,  where  it  was  tossed 
up  on  terra  firma.  They  learned  where  it  came  from 
by  some  papers  preserved  in  a  box.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent story,  at  least. 

This  is  a  pleasant,  sunny  island  where  rambling 
will  be  found  pleasant,  even  though  the  historical 
associations  are  of  less  interest  than  at  Gosport. 

As  we  returned  to  Appledore  the  yacht  Celia  was 
just  leaving  for  Portsmouth,  and  the  lirothers  Laighton 
were  giving  a  parting  salute  with  the  bell  and  horn,  the 
latter  an  instrument  about  three  feet  lon<x,  which  can 
at  least  boast  of  some  power.  We  pitied  from  the 
bottom  of  our  hearts  the  poor  wights  who  were  now 
returning  to  the  world ;  but  soon  got  over  our  con- 
cern for  them  and  "sadlv  thouijht  of  the  morrow"  — 
the  morrow,  fated  day — when  we,  too,  must  bid  fare- 
well to  these  sunny  isles  and  in  turn  become  the 
objects  of  commisseration. 


The  Isles  of  Shoals.  219 

Thus  the  bright  days  pass  at  tlie  Ish-s  of  Slioals. 
After  the  round  lias  thus  beeu  gone  through,  it  then 
remains  to  be   gone   througli  again  with   variations, 
each  time  meeting  some  new  view  or  odd  adventure. 
For  tliose  fond   of  stndying   marine   fiora,  there  are 
unbounded  facilities.     At  low  water,  in  a  sunny  day, 
drift  in  your  boat  along  past  the  northwest  ])(»int  of 
Star  Island,  at  the  right  distance  from  the  rocks,  and 
observe,   far   down,   the   beautiful   groves   of  waving 
fronds  that  fill  this  watery  world,  with  the  perch  as 
tame  as  kittens,  feeding  npon  salads  of  bright  green 
sea-lettuce.     By  dredging  we  shall  find  that  c^ach  suc- 
cessive depth  has  its  peculiarities.     There  are  zones 
on  the  mountains  under  the  water,  along  those  dim 
slopes  that  descend  to  the  ocean's  lowest  depths,  as 
well  as  on  the  heights  above.     If  w^e  could  descend, 
what  marvels  should  we  behold  !     There  the  carnival 
of  color  is  perpetual,  running  riotously  through  the 
whole  chromatic  scale,  while  the  deep-sea  fruits  are 
ever  ripening  on  their  graceful  stems.     We  have  an 
earnest  of  what  we  might  expect,  both  in  the  gorgeous 
coloring  of  the  mosses  that  the  waves  toss  upon  the 
beach,  and  in  the  "  salt  lemons  and  oranges  that  come 
up  on  the  dredge." 

The  flora  upon  the  land  is  also  .ore  promising 
than  it  may  appear  at  first  sight.  It  is  tolerably  well 
catalogued  in  another  poem  by  Mrs.  Thaxter,  entitled 
"Kock  weeds." 


Ml 


2  20 


The  Isles  of  Shoals, 

»'  S:)  bloak  ttiese  sliores,  wind-swopt,  and  all  the  year 
Washed  by  tho  wild  Atlantic's  restless  tide, 
You  would  not  dreuru  that  (lowers  tho  woods  hold  dear 
Amid  such  desolation  dare  abide. 

Yet  when  the  bitter  winter  breaks,  some  day, 
With  soft  winds  flutterin.i^  her  garments'  hem, 

tip  from  the  sweet  South  (lomes  the  lingering  May, 
Sets  the  first  wind-flower  trembling  on  its  stem. 

Scatters  her  violets  with  lavish  hands, 
White,  blue,  and  amber ;  calls  the  columbine 

Till,  like  clear  flame  in  lonely  nooks,  gay  bands 
Swinging  their  scarlet  bells  obey  the  sign ; 

Makes  buttercups  and  dandelions  blaze. 
And  throws  in  glimmering  patches  here  and  there 

The  little  eyebright's  pearls,  and  g(>ntly  lays 
The  i:niuess  of  her  beauty  everywhere. 

Later,  June  bids  the  sweet  wild-rose  to  blow. 
Wakes  from  its  dream  the  drowsy  pimpernel ; 

Unfolf'.s  the  bindweed's  ivory  buds,  that  glow 
As  delicately  blushing  as  a  shell. 

Then  puri^le  Iris  smiles ;  and  hour  by  hour 
The  fair  procession  multiplies ;  and  soon 

In  clusters  creamy  white,  the  elder  flower 
Waves  its  broad  disk  against  the  rising  moon. 

O'er  quiet  beaches  shelving  to  the  sea 
Tall  mulleins  sway,  and  ihistles ;  all  day  long 

Comes  in  the  wooing  water  dreamily, 
With  subtle  music  in  its  slumbrous  song. 


Herb-Ilobort  hears,  and  princess-feather  bright, 
While  goldtliread  clasps  the  little  skull-cap  blue; 

And  troops  of  swallows,  gathering  for  their  flight. 
O'er  golden  rod  and  asters  hold  review. 


' 


The  Isles  of  Shoals, 

The  barren  islan.l  droums  in  flower.,  while  blo^v 
The  south  win.l.,  .Irawin,^  haze  o'er  sea  and  lan.I , 

Yet  the  frreat  heart  of  ocean,  throbbing  slow 
Makes  the  frail  blossoms  visible  where  they  stand. 

And  hints  of  heavier  pulses  soon  to  shako 
Its  mi-hty  breast  when  summer  is  no  more 

When  devastating,'  waves  swoop  on  and  break^ 
Aiid  caasp  with  girdle  white  the  iron  shore. 

Close-folded,  safe  within  the  sholterin-  seed 
Blossom  and  bell  and  leafy  beauty  hkle  •    ' 

Nor  icy  blast  nor  bitter  spray  thev  heed 
But  patiently  tlieir  wondrous  change  abide. 

The  heart  of  God  through  his  creation  stirs  • 
We  thrill  to  feel  it,  trembling  as  the  flowers 

That  die  to  live  again,_his  messengers 
To  keep  faith  firm  in  these  sad  souls  of  ours. 

The  waves  of  Time  may  devastate  our  lives 
The  frosts  of  age  may  c:heck  our  failing  breath ; 

They  shall  not  touch  the  spirit  that  survives 
Tniimphant  over  doubt  and  pain  and  death." 


221 


■ 

'^  ""^  <. 

!^ 

m. 

M 

J:-:'^^: 
*.«»-•.' 

<Xy 

Xl:,^hM 

"^i 

PENOBSCOT     BAY. 

C  II  A  r  T  E  U     XIV. 

Kennehkc  —  MoN'iiKGAN  —  Camdkv  —  Olbtowx  —  Pamola 
—  Castim:  —  Tin:    Capuchins  —  Isle    or    Haute  —  Pla- 

CENTIA  —  AMOUNT    DkSEUT. 


-:.^.--ll 

i 

If-: 

y^^VJ; 

fe^ 

EXODSCOT  Bay  lies  in  a  region  invested 
with  all  the  interest  that  is  attached  to 
other  portions  of  the  Maine  Coast.  In 
going  thither  from  the  Isles  of  Shoals, 
we  pass  outside  of  Casco  l>ay,  which,  with  its  count- 
less islands  and  numerous  delightful  resorts,  might 
well  claim  a  chapter  of  its  own.  But  making 
Portland  the  jwint  of  departure,  we  go  throvgh  this 
bay,  and,  if  it  is  dayliijrht,  become  somewhat  ac- 
quainted  with  its  ^peculiarities.  After  clearing  the 
bay  in  the  night,  the  first  light  that  appears  is 
Seo-uin.  This  stands  near  the  mouth  of  that  beau- 
tiful  stream,  the  Kennebec.  When  on  the  coast  of 
Maine,  the  summer  tourist  should  ascend  this  river  to 
Augusta.  The  scenery  is  everywhere  fine.  Here  for 
the  first  time  we  saw  a  sturgeon,  as  described  by 
Longfellow,  in  all  his  armor: 

"  On  each  side  si  BhicM  to  guard  him, 
riatcs  of  bone  upon  liis  forehead, 
Down  his  Bides,  back  and  shoulders, 


Pamola 
i:  —  Pla- 


invested 
clied  to 
[ist.     In 

Shoals, 
i  count- 
;,   might 

making 
ugh  this 
liat  ac- 
'ing:  the 
pears  is 
%t  beau- 
coast  of 

river  to 
[lere  for 
'ibed  by 


Penobscot  Bay.  22^ 

PJafos  of  bone  with  spines  projecting! 
Tainted  was  he  with  liis  war  jmint, 

Stripes  of  yellow,  reel  an«l  azuio, 
Spots  of  brown  and  t^pots  of  t^ablo." 

T!.ey  always  seem  very  fo.,d  of  leaping  out  of  Mm 
hater.  .Stan.lmg  on  the  deck  of  the  n,.wanl.l,o„„,l 
steamer.  ,vc  heard  a  s.idden  .s,,lash  in  the  water,  and 
Parted,  tlunking  (hat  a  man  had  fallen  overboard- 
but  It  j,roved  to  be  only  "  the  sturgeon,  Nahma/' 
Who  from  the  bottom 

"  rose  with  nngry  gesture, 
Qiiiverhijr  in  cacli  nerve  nnrt  llbrc, 
C'iasljinj;  all  lii«  pInteB  ofarmor, 
Cilcainin^.  briglil  with  all  lii«  ivarpaintj 
In  lii^  wratli  iie  dartetl  upward. 
ilasUiuj;  leaped  into  tliu  sunsliiuc." 

"Vyiiile  I  was  looking  at  the  place  where  ho  di-^ap- 
peared,  Nahma'.  brother,  about  the  size  of  a  man  did 
precisely  the  same  thing,  leaping  ftdl  out  of  the  water 
and  then  falling  back  again  in  true  histrionic  stvle  as' 
if  ■  stiff  and  dead.  ' 

^  Next  on  our  right,  at  sea,  is  Monhegan.  This 
IS  a  low  Hat  island  of  considerable  size.  Beyond 
(juestion  Captain  John  Smith  actually  laude.l  here 
If  he  did  not  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals.  We  ha^e  his 
own  word  for  it.  He  arrived  in  April,  1014.  The 
island  had  been  a  resort  of  fishermen  since  1008  if 
i.ot  longer.  Smith  says  that  "whilst  the  sailors 
fclie.1.  myself  with  eight  others  ranged  the  coast  in  a 
fimall  boat.     We  got  for  tritles  near  eieveu  ti.,-,^aud 


224 


Penobscot  Bay. 


beaver  skins,  one  hundred  martens,  and  as  many 
otters."  lie  carried  back  to  England  forty-seven 
thousand  dried  fish  cured  at  the  island.  The  Arabic 
Sj'stem  of  notation  would  utterly  fail  to  tell  hon  many 
thousand  cod  have  been  taken  hero  since.  Tl  )  set- 
tlement on  the  island  is  small,  but  the  place  is  of 
genuine  interest.  We  passed  this  island  again  q^\  one 
of  the  loveliest  nights  that  I  ever  si)ent  on  the  "\rater, 
when  the  full-orbed  moon  sent  down  Ui)on  the  waves 
her  most  bewitching  glances.     For 

"  In  such  a  night 
Stood  Dido  with  a  ^villow  in  her  hand 
Upon  tlio  wild  sea  hanks  and  waft  her  Jove 
To  come  again  to  Cartluige." 

If  the  runaway  iEneas  had  been  with  us  on  the 
Lewiston,  he  would  not  have  objected  seriously  to 
going  anywhere,  simply  on  account  of  the  weather. 

On  this  island  is  what  looks  like  a  Runic  inscrintion 
in  the  face  of  a  rock.  An  engraving  of  this  rock  is 
given  by  the  Society  of  Northern  Anticiuarians  in 
one  of  their  publications  {^Dcs  Antlquaires  du  Nord, 
May  14,  1859),  but  the  Society  very  prudently  ab- 
stained from  giving  an  opinion.  The  Northmen  when 
on  the  coast  may  have  noticed  this  island,  yet  the 
jdleged  inscription  is  probably  the  result  of  dis- 
integration. 

Opposite  Monhegan,  on  the  main,  is  Pemnquid,  tlie 
I' cure  ot  Samoset,  who  welcomed  the  English  Pil- 
gnms   at   Plymouth   in    1G20.      Bradford   says   this 


Penobscot  Bay, 


225 


(I,  tlie 
I  Til. 
5   lliia 


Chief  came  "houldly  anioiig>t  tliem,  and  spoke  to 
them  in  broken  Kn<'Tis]i,  which  tliev  could  well  under- 
stand  but  marvelled  at  it.  At  leniith  thev  understood 
by  discourse  with  him,  that  he  was  not  one  of  these 
[Plymouth]  parts,  but  belonged  to  ye  eastrene  parts, 
wher  some  iMiglish  ships  came  to  lish,  with  whom  ho 
was  acquainted,  and  could  name  sundrie  of  them  by 
their  names,  amongst  whom  he  gott  liis  language." 
Accordinii"  to  the  account  which  lie  ijave  of  himself 
he  was  Sagamore  of  "  ]\Iorattiggon,"  lying  eastward 
*'adaye"s  sail  with  a  great  wind,  and  live  days  by 
land."  He  visited  the  Pilgrims  again  two  days  after- 
wards, that  is,  Sunday,  March  18 ;  and  on  March 
22,  he  came  for  the  last  time  to  Plvmouth  with 
the  Chief  S(iuaiito,  by  whose  joint  agency  a  peace 
was  arranged  with  Massasoit. 

He  appears  only  once  more  on  the  page  of  New 
England  history,  in  1G25,  when  he  deeded  away  a 
large  tract  of  land  near  Pemaipiid.  Among  his  other 
good  acts  was  that  of  rescuing  some  shipwrecked 
Frenchmen  cast  away  on  Cape  Cod  in  1G17.  Says 
one  writer,  "  The  life  of  the  Pcmaipiid  chief  Samo- 
set,  or  Somerset,  must  ever  awaken  the  most  tender 
and  interesting  reflections;  and  the  generosity  and 
genuine  nobility  of  soul,  displayed  by  this  son  of  the 
forest,  must  be  allowed  as  a  fairer  index  to  the  true 
character  of  the  Aborigines  than  their  deeds  of  resent- 
ment and  cruelly  in  after-days,  when  goaded  to  mad- 
ness by  the  cupidity  or  treachery  of  the  Europeans." 


M 


226 


Penobscot  Bay, 


Between  Pemaquid  aiid  Moulicgan  the  fiiilit  of  ilie 
Enterprise  and  the  Boxer  took  i)lace  in  I8I0,  tlie  lat- 
ter becoming  a  [>rize  to  the  United  States,  after  a 
severe  eiii^aucnient  of  thirtv-five  minutes,  in  which  the 
connnanders  were  both  killed. 

Eai-ly  in  the  morning  the  steamer  reaches  Ivock- 
land,  where  the  Portland  steamer  connects  with  the 
boat  rnnning  to  Bangor.  This  })lace  is  chiefly  cele- 
brated for  its  lime,  which  is  burnt  and  exported  in 
fabulous  qnantities.  Our  Down-east  friends  iind  the 
lime-rock  as  good  as  gold,  and  get  rich  in  the  trade 
almost  as  fast  as  their  Massachusetts  neiijhbors  do  in 
selling  off  their  ice.  From  this  point  we  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  Camden  Hills,  a  few  miles  distant,  now 
a  popular  place  of  resort.  The  whole  region  around 
Camden  abounds  in  attractions  that  have  not  become 
backneved  like  most  of  the  resorts  in  Massachusetts. 
The  hills  as  we  passed  them  strikingly  reminded  us 
of  the  heights  of  Mount  Desert,  though  they  present 
little  of  their  wonderful  variety. 

The  coast  line  here  as  everv where  is  extremelv 
irregular.  Between  Portland  and  Machiasport  the 
steamer  changes  her  course  over  two  hundred  times. 
From  Kittery  Point  to  "^Ves^  C^uoddy  Head,  the  dis- 
tance in  a  riulit  line  is  only  about  two  hundred  and 
twentv-six  miles,  while  it  is  said  that  an  actual  surv 


ey 


will  make  the  shore  three  thousand. 


So  little  was  known  of   the   coast    in    1(]()7,  that 
Popham  wrote  to  Prince  Charles,  telling  him  that  nut- 


Penobscot  Bay. 


'I'lj 


he 
at- 
•  a 
ilie 

)ck- 

llie 
!cle- 
\  ui 

tlie 
LvaAe 
V^  in 
ch   1^ 

voiuhI 

come 
iisctts. 

eel  ns 

esent 

•tinely 
III   tlie 
times. 

lie  elid- 
ed ami 
survey 

liaL  nui- 


mosr-;  Ji^iK^  ciiinam:^n  iirow  lioro.  lie  als(^  said  that 
seven  (lavs'  ioui'iicv  westward  IVom  Sti^adalicc,  tlicre 
was  a  large  sea  reaching  to  China,  which  "  uncjues- 
tionably"   was  not  far  from  these  shores. 

A  short  distance  above  l>an2;or  is  the  settlennMit  of 
the  OM  Town  Indians.  The  present  number  of  the 
tribe  is  five  hundred  and  twenty-five.  The  school 
numbers  iifty-four  scholars.  They  receive  from  the 
Government  nearly  six  thousand  dollars  annuallv. 
Their  number  has  not  diminished  for  the  last  fortv 
years.  They  are  frequently  seen  in  the  vicinity  of 
jM<junt  Desert.  They  ]iav(i  a  "  New  Party,"  and  an 
*•  Old  Party,"  as  is  the  case  at  Pleasant  Point,  tliough 
with  the  Old  Town  Indians  the  Xew  Partv  is  the 
less  respectable.  They  have  had  bitter  (piarrels 
among  themselves  from  time  to  time,  and  once,  for  a 
i)eriod  of  two  years,  they  were  left  by  the  Poman 
Catholic  authorities,  to  whose  church  thev  a<lhere,  as 
perfectly  incorrigible.  They  have  among  them  a 
Phenician  custom  which  prevails  in  Ireland,  of  build- 
inu^  luine  bonfires  on  iNlidsummer  Eve,  the  Viiiil  of  S. 
John  l>a})tist.  They  are  exceedingly  superstitious, 
and  have  some  famous  traditions  rcixardiii'^  Mount 
Katahdin,  the  residence  of  the  Spirit  Pamohi.  One 
of  tliem,  according  to  Father  A\Hromile,  who  served 
as  Priest  of  Ohl  Town,  runs  as  follows : 

Several  humh'cd  vears  auo,  whihj  a  Penobscot  In- 
dian  was  encamped  east  of  Katahdin,  in  the  autumn 
hunting  season,  an  unexpected   full  of  snow   covered 


a 


.'1  i  1 . 


228 


Penobscot  Bay. 


the  whole  country  to  the  depth  of  many  feet.  Not 
liaving  any  snow-shoes,  he  was  unable  to  return  home, 
and  remained  blocked  up  in  the  drifts,  feeling  that  he 
must  eventually  iierish.  l>ut  in  his  despair  he  called 
with  a  loud  voice  for  Pamola,  who  hnallv  made  his 
appearance  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Thereupon 
the  Indian  took  coura^fc,  and  offered  a  sacrifice  of  oil 
and  fat,  which  he  poured  upon  some  burning  coals. 
As  the  smoke  went  up,  Pamola  descended  from  the 
sunmiit  of  tlie  mountain,  wlien  the  sacrifice  was  re- 
peated, drawing  l^unola  as  far  as  the  camp,  where  the 
Indian  welcomed  him,  savinix,  "' You  are  welcome, 
Paitner."  Pamola  replied  :  "  You  have  done  well  to 
call  me  })artner,  for  thus  you  are  saved,  who  otherwise 
w^ould  have  been  destroyed  by  me.  Now  1  will  take 
you  on  the  mountain,  and  you  shall  be  hap})y  with 
me."  He  therefore  jnit  the  Indian  on  his  shoulders, 
bade  him  close  his  eyes,  and  in  a  few  minutes,  witli  a 
noise  as  of  a  whistling  wind,  they  were  inside  of  the 
mountain.  The  Indian  described  the  interior  of  Ka- 
tahdin  as  containinjjj  a  comfortable  wiiiwam,  furnished 
with  an  abundance  of  venison,  and  all  the  luxuries  of 
life,  aiul  that  l*amola  had  a  wife  and  children  living 
there.  Pamola  gave  him  his  daughter  to  wife,  aiul 
told  him  that  after  one  year  he  could  return  to  his 
friends  at  the  Penobscot,  and  have  the  i)rivilege  of 
coming  to  see  his  wife  as  often  as  he  i)leabed.  He 
was  told,  however,  that  he  must  not  marrv  another 
wife,  and  that  if  he  did  he   would  immediately    be 


Sot 
mc, 
:  he 
illea 
:  bis 
il)on 
,f  oil 
;oals. 

IS  re- 
i-e  the 
come, 

veil  to 
evwise 

1  talvC 
uith 
uldei's, 
ith  a 
of  the 
of  Ka- 
iiibhed 
•ies  of 
living 
ife,  and 
to  his 
lo«»e  of 

a.     He 

iinollier 

Ltelv    be 


Penobscot  Bay. 


229 


transported  to  Katahdiii,  from  whence  lie  would  never 
return  again.  At  the  end  of  the  year  he  went  back 
to  Old  Town  and  lold  all  his  adventures.  The 
Indians  nr^ed  him  to  marrv  aiiain,  which  at  lirst  he 
refused  to  do  ;  though  at  last  they  carricl  their  point. 
IJut  i*aniola  was  true  to  his  word,  for  the  dav  after  ho 
suddenly  disappeared,  and  he  must,  of  course,  have 
been  spirited  back  to  the  heart  of  the  ^Mountain.  Jt 
is  to  be  hoped  that  his  i'ate  will  have  a  wholesome 
etfect  upon  those  who  remain.  1  was  shown  by  Dr. 
Ballard,  the  Secretary  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society, 
a  rude  sketch  of  Pamela,  that  was  made  for  him  bv  an 
Indian.  The  sketch  reminded  me  of  Falstatf's  de- 
scription of  Slender,  who  "  was  fn*  all  the  world  like 
a  forked  radish,  with  a  head  fantastically  carved  on  it 
with  a  knife." 

We  did  not  on  this  occasion  ascend  the  Penobscot, 
which,  however,  well  repays  the  journey,  as  the 
steamer  sailed  from  Ivockland  direct  to  Casline.  This 
is  another  extremely  interesting  place.  As  we  ap- 
proached the  landing,  the  old  earthworks  u[)on  the 
summit  of  the  hill  to  the  rear  of  the.  town  came 
prominently  into  view,  their  outline  being  relieved  by 
the  sky.  Casline  has  a  pleasant,  cleanly  a[)[:earance, 
and  the  whole  -.ciiiliborhood  looks  invitiui*-.  ^\'ar 
the  l*oint  is  shown  the  site  of  IJaron  Castin's  fort. 

Among  the  names  associated  with  the  early  days  of 
the  Penobscot  that  of  Vincent  de  St.  Castin  is  the 
most  distinguished.     At  one  time  he  was  an  oHicer  iu 


230 


Penobscot  Bay. 


the  ])ody  guard  (»f  tlie  King  of  France.  Born  near 
the  Pyrenees  an<l  accustomed  to  their  wikl  and  rnix- 
ged  .scenery,  tlie  primeval  forests  of  Acadie  accorded 
well  with  his  eccentric  dis[)Osition.  Soon  after  arriv- 
ing at  Quebec,  in  1G(j."),  the  regiment  of  which  he  was 
commander  havinuj  been  disbanded,  he  selected  the 
j)ine-clad  peninsula  of  Biguatus  as  his  place  of  resi- 
dence. On  the  same  spot  which  had  [)reviously  been 
occu[)ied  by  D'Aulney  and  Temple,  he  erected  a  forti- 
iied  habitation,  and  for  over  a  (piarter  of  a  century 
carried  on  an  extensive  and  profitable  trade.  Ba 
Ilontau  estimated  his  jjrofits  to  ha\e  been  two  or 
three  hundred  thousand  crowns,  and  Castin  himself 
informed  M.  Tibieriie,  in  1005,  that  ei<»hlv  thousand 
livres  could  bo  annully  realized  at  Penobscot  out  of 
the  beaver  trade.  In  lG7o,  twenty-one  white  i;er- 
sons,  including  soldiers,  were  connected  with  Castin's 
establi.shment.  lie  formed  a  close  alliance  with  the 
savages  by  marrying  the  daughter  of  ]Madackawaiulo, 
their  chief,  and  his  influence  over  them  was  so  great, 
that  they  regarded  him  as  their  tutelar  god.  AVithin 
liis  habitation  was  a  chapel  attended  by  a  Koman 
priest.  lie  was  an  avowed  enemy  of  the  Knglish. 
King  William's  War  has  sometimes  been  called  Castin's 
War.  In  1G88  Sir  Edmund  Andros  anchored  off  his 
fort  in  the  frigate  Pose,  when  the  Paroii  fled  to  the 
woods.  Andros  landed  and  pillaged  the  jilace,  not 
even  respecting  the  chai)el  altar.  Then  followed 
nine  years  of  war  and  blooiUlied.     Custiu  afterwards 


Penobscot  Bay.  231 

rebuilt  lii.s  f(jrt,  Imt  wliile  iil)s(Mit  in  France  in  170;],  it 
was  again  pillaged.  'J'he  next  year  Colonel  Clnireh 
carried  lire  and  the  sword  tlirongliont  the  region. 
Castin  died  in  France,  bnt  his  son  by  his  Indian  wife 
eontinned  to  live  in  the  country. 

Tiie  visitor  at  modern   Castine  may  also  feel  inter- 
e^^ted  in  learning   that  at  one   period  the    Capuchins 
had  established  a  monastery  here.     This   Older  is  a 
bi-anch  of  the  Friars  ^Minor,  founded  by   St.   Francis 
of  Assissi.     A  member  of  this  branch  of  the  (hder, 
having  made  the  remarkable  discovery  that  the  breth- 
ren did  not  wear   the  same  style  of  capuce,  or   hood, 
that   their  founder   wore,    succeeded,    in    conjunction 
with  another  devotee,  in  obtaining    (July  13,  lo2,S)  ;i 
Papal  Bull  for  the  establishment  of  the  Capuchins  as 
a  distinct   society.       Mr.    Shea    says    that    thev   first 
appeared  in   the  French   colony  in   1G32,  when   they 
were  olfered  the  direction  of  religious  affairs,  which 
oiler  was  declined.     In  1G43  D'Aulney  invited  them 
to  come  to  Acadia.     In   IG-IG   Father   Druillettes,  a 
Jesuit  from  Quebec,  going  on  a  visit  to  the  Abenakis, 
found    at    Pentegoet   a   little    hospice    of    Capuchins, 
under  their  Superior,  Father  Ignatius  of  Pai-is.     This 
hospice,  according  to  Charlevoix,  was  on  the   Kenne- 
bec at  Castine,  where  they  acted  as    Chaplains  to   the 
French  traders  and  settlers.     It  is  thought  that   the 
visit  of   Father   Druillettes    led    to    the    erection   of 
a  new  and  more  permanent  hospice.     At  all  events 
one  was  erected  in  lG-i8,  which  is  demonstrated  by  an 


ill) 


r 


232 


Penobscot  Bay. 


inscription  on  a  plate  of  copper,  found  in  tlic  uulumn 
of  18(Jo,  neiir  the  old  l)i'ick  battery,  known  as  the 
Lower  Fort.     The  inscription  is  as  follows : 

"1G48.     8.    IVxV.  F.  Lko.  Parisix.  Capl'C.  Miss 

Pes  VI  Hoc  FVNDTM  Ix  IINll  EM  Xll.E  D^EE 
SANCTyE     SrEI." 

This  may  be  rendered  as  follows  : 

"1G48.  Jan.  8.  I,  Friar  Leo,  of  Paris,  Ca- 
ruciiiN  Missionary,  laid  this  foundation  in 
HONOR  OF  OUR  Lady  of   Holy  IIope." 

In  1G4D,  D'Aiilney,  the  patron  of  the  Capuchins, 
was  over{)owered  by  La  Tour,  whom  Mr.  Shea  de- 
scribes as  a  "  hickory  member"  of  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church,  and  his  settlements  were  disbanded. 
The  Capuchins  in  Maine  left  no  records. 

Of  the  character  of  theso  men  we  cannot  speak 
with  the  same  deflniteness  as  of  the  Jesuits.  The 
monks  of  old  differed  greatly  in  their  characters  and 
reputation.  There  were  the  monks  of  St.  Gildas  do 
Rhu3^s.  Longfellow  thus  makes  Lucifer  hit  them  off 
in  "  The  Golden  Lciiend  "  : 


"  The  convent  windows  gleamed  ns  red 
As  tlio  licry  eyes  of  the  monks  within, 
Who  with  jovial  din 
Gave  themselves  up  to  all  kinds  of  s^in  ! 
Ha!  that  is  a  convent!  that  is  an  abbey ! 
Over  the  doors, 

None  of  your  death-heads  carved  in  wood, 
None  of  your  Saints  lookinj"  pious  and  good, 
None  of  your  I'atriarchs  old  and  shabby? 
But  the  heads  and  tusks  ot  boors, 
And  the  cells 


Penobscot  Iniy. 


-00 


Hung  nil  round  with  the  fells 

Of  llie  lillloivilecr. 

Aiul  (hen  wlintehecr! 

What  jolly  fat  fiiai-s, 

MillinK  roiiu,!  the  great,  roaring  flres," 

B.U  if  ,l,e  m,)„ks  of  JIaittc  belonged   to  this  olass 
they  sl,owe,l  litile  sense  in  leaving  ,|,c  endowed  nio- 
nas.efy  of  the  Old   World  for   tlte   log-b„iU  l.ospiee 
of  tlte  .New,  wl,e.-e.  instemi  of  seeming  il,e  .leer's  fell 
tl.ey  might  lose   their  own  scalps.     They  le,l    a  hard' 
and  often  a  .sad  life.     Instead  of  the  constant  carnival 
ot  <le  Ixhuys  It  was  a  prolonged  Lenten  Ihst.      Theirs 
was  the  coarse  fare,  the  scanty  hoard,  the   wearin.r 
Vigd    the  painful  march,  and,  at  night,  the  bed  of 
boughs.     Snch  men  have  a  right  to  stickle  abont  the 
eut  ot  a  capnce.     Indeed,  they  have  seMom  ha,l  j„s^ 
tice      Stdl  they  were  generally  me.r  of  right  aims  an,l 
a  self-denying  spirit,  ready  to  compass  sea  and  land  to 
make  a  proselyte,  and  buying  at  any  price  the  privi- 
lege of  sendmg  an  Indian  child  to  heaven  with  a  drop 
ol  clew.  ^ 

From  Castine  we  descend  the  bay  around  Cane 
Rosier  to  the  pleasant  little  town  of  Sedgwick  where 
passengers  are  landed.  Thetice  the  steamer's  course 
!■  shaped  for  Deer  Isle,  which  is  al^ut  half  as  lar.re 
as  iMount  Desert  and  supports  a  thickv  settled  li.hht.r 
community.  The  isle  appears  to  be  "a  bright  stmn^ 
l.lace,  and  a  sutnmer  spent  here  would  no  doubt  be 
prohtable,  as  the  steamer  regularly  places  travellers 
on  one  ot  the  most  central  portions  of  the  bay. 


234 


Penobscot  Bay. 


1 


)l:ii 


act 


tl 


10 


at 


cM'n 


\v 


llOl 


sec 


We  next  go  tlirongli  EgeniDirgin  Koacli  wliicli  ex- 
tends l)ctween  Doer  Isle  and  tli(^  mainland,  after 
v/hich  tlie  I^le  an  Haute,  Iligli  Island,  as  Cliam- 
in  called  it.  That  exijlorer  was  evidently  well 
juainted  with  this  locality,  lie  says  :  "  Coming  to 
;  south  of  the  High  (Jiaulc)  island,  and  coasting  it 
about  one-fourth  of  a  league  where  there  are  sev- 
1  sand-bars  just  out  of  water,  we  turned  to  the 
est  till  we  o[)enod  the  mountains  which  are  to  the 
•th  of  said  island.  You  can  be  assured  tliat  in 
inir  the  eiirht  or  nine  notches  in  the  Isle  of  Mount 
seit  and  of  Bedabebec,  you  will  not  see  any 
more  islands."  It  was  on  the  Isle  of  Haute  that  the 
iled  States  Slooi)-of-War,  John  Adams,  mounting 
cnty-four  guns,  got  ashore  August  17,  1814,  having 
board  sixty  English  prise  ers.  She  was  eventu- 
ally brought  olF  and  taken  up  the  Penobscot,  where 
to  prevent  her  capture  by  the  r>ritish,  she  was  set 
ou   lire. 

Cloi-e  at  hand  mu}^  also  be  seen  Placentia,  an  island 
that  Whittier  celebrates  in  his  jioem  of  ]\Iogg  Megone. 
He  tells  ns  of  one  Pere  lireteaux  who  had  a  mission 
there,  dwelling  alone  in  a  hut.     He  says : 


1 


?eh 


I 

tw 


U] 


on 


Tliere  plccp  PJp.ccnd'n's  group— and  llicre 
I'erc  IJretcaux  marks  the  hour  of  prayer; 
And  tliere,  beneath  the  Fej.-uorn  clift', 

On  which  the  lather's  Hut  is  seen 
The  Indian  btays  liis  rocking  t^kiff, 

And  peers  the  hemlock  bough  between, 
Hall" trembling  as  he  Fecks  to  look 
Upon  tho  Jesuits  Cross  and  liook." 


«p   I  ■■>-jiimiui«UL 


ii  ex- 

aftor 
?liam- 

^vell 
iiig  to 
iiii^  it 
e  sev- 
to   the 
to   the 
hat  in 
Mount 
!e   any 
lat  the 
)uiiting 
having 
eventii- 

where 
,vas  set 

11  island 
^legone. 
mission 


Penobscot  Bay.  ^^. 

"  O  0 

TlH-s  liowovor,  is  ,„„l,i„j.  I„u  a  |,n.„v  n..(f„„.     Vo 

:;:':;"■'' ""  ""•  -^'-'^  ^'--  ^^  ^s  .....^.:, 

ci  pleasM.iit  spor.  ' 

--■•-t.,,H.,,,.i,n.nd.....,.,.,H',i,,.,,;,J,^t 

"«'"';■'"•'  '^^■""'  "''•  -'  iii<'^ "  i,..,t  «.„„;  ,„ ,..  .„,,.• 

l'asnl.-e;,,l.vl,crMsl„m„|„l„.,l„.e.is,.      Tl,n 

7;r- "—'■'.• .' >-...r;..:'::r';;;;;: 

loclw.       A\lut  uo,„ls  there   wore  l,e   .avs   w,.,-(.  -..,11 
pmes   and   i„//W,.      „,„,,,,_    ••  F   .ante.l  it  ,'l,e 

1        at,  ,„,c_  of  the  highest  e.ninence,  O.eeu  Mo,„.- 
•un,  he   ..ve.l  at   forty-f,.,,,,  an,!  a  half,  whiel,   a-n^ecs 
sulficiently  well  with  ,he  n,o,hM-n  sn.Tey  " 

Then   we   left   Penohseot   iSay  an.l"  .sailed    anunul 

M  «n    Desen  to  S.uth-West  Ila.-bo.  where  CoI„nel 

Church,  durn.g  the  French  and  Indian   war,  .sont,- 

-mcs  ea:n3  in  search  of  the  enenu-,   who  n.ade  the 

tr  ;    r    """"      ''  ""^  '"^™  '"  ^  --k  that  the 
lUasaachiisetts   men   cst-dilisl,,,,!    , 
4     .   .       ,  Lstaoii.slied    a    nove     i)ost-o(Iice 

Arriving  Jiere  Chnrch  savs  tl,-,f  I,„  »■       i 

;;f^'';^!'  ''?  ^■^'•''^■■'^''-  '-''t  instead  "a  rnndlet  rid 
o';  '.V  a  ].ne  in  the  harbor  which  he  or,lerea   to   I.e 

thin."  f  ,  • -r'"'"^'  "  ''°  *■"""'  ^'  '"«-•  '^'•''^■«^«-'' 

t.  hnn.   ,om  winch  he  learned  that  the  f.-iend,  had 

'•e.nrned  to  lioston.     Bnt  on  our  arrival  (18{;8)   „■ ' 


T? 


I 


!ii    ' 


nil    i 


236 


Penobscot  Bay. 


rcecivcl  tl.o  mail  in  a  roa  loatliei-  bug,  marked  U.  S., 
at  tho  \nmd  of  Dcaco,.  Clark.  From  tkonco  ^vo 
st...amO(l  arom.l  to  Bar  Harbor,  wbero  for  tho  time 
we  baao  Cai,taiu  Docring  a.lic,.,  Mitculi,,-  to  start  for 
Grand  Mona.i  uudcr  liU  careful  aud  skilful  guidai.co 
the  next  trip. 


1     ' 


G  R  A  XD     M  E  X  A  X. 
ciiApri:  II    XV. 

liouTi:  TO  M.vriii  vs  —  Tin;  Fi(;iit  —  Li;iu:c  —  Eaulv  His- 
tory —  KxpLoRATiONs  —  (icLi.s  —  Swallow  Tail  lli: ad— 
WiiALK  Covi:  —  Indian  Ulach  —  Dauk  IIauijou  —  Tin: 
Ketuux. 

EA\'I\Cjr  Bar  Harbor  at  noon  on  a  beau- 
tiful Aumi.st  dav,  we  started  for  tlie  iiortli- 
(;rn  liead  of  Grand  Menan,  situated  in  a 
direet  line  about  eiiihtv-livc  miles  ironi 
3Iount  Desert.  In  steaming  out  we  had  a  line  view 
of  the  clilfs  of  Iron-bound  Island,  and  Sehoodie  Hill. 
The  latter,  as  we  progressed,  turned  itself  around 
to  alford  a  fidl  view  of  its  bare  and  bleaehed  sides. 
Gradually,  Newport  and  Green  Mountain  faded  into 
one,  and  then  sank  out  of  sight. 

The  next  noticeable  feature  was  Petit  ]Menan,  so 
called  to  distinguish  it  fiujni  C'reat,  or  Grand  Menan. 
It  is  a  low,  barren  i.sland,  with  a  granite  lighthoirse 
one  hundred  and  twenty-iive  feet  high,  showing  a 
Hash  liiiht.  A  wreck  lav  in  the  surf  on  the  beach. 
This  place  is  about  lifteen  miles  from  IJar  Harbor. 
The  next  lighthouse  is  on  Pond  Island,  to  the  right 
of  which  is  the  island  called  J(;rdan's  Delight,  having 
handsome  cliiTs.     Near  a  shinule  beach   was  an  arch- 


2;8 


Grand  lilcnan. 


way  ill  the  rocks.  The  pilot  said  that  the  place  was 
full  of  attractions. 

At  Millbridge,  it  being  low  water,  the  passengers 
were  taken  off  b}"  a  boat.  Ship's-Stern  Islam]  was 
next  pointed  out.  It  resembles,  at  one  end,  the  stern 
of  an  old-fashioned  ship.  Pigeon  Ilill  now  disap- 
l>eared  in  the  distance,  and  the  steamer  ran  on  among 
clusters  of  low,  rocky  islands,  more  or  less  covered 
with  ^nnes,  and  passed  through  Plummer's  Sound, 
which  forms  a  fine  harbor  about  six  miles  long.  It  is 
shut  in  by  a  range  of  islands  that  are  famous  for  ship- 
wrecks. 

Next  Jonesport,  about  thirty  miles  from  Bai*  Ilar- 
l)or,  comes  in  view,  with  the  waters  of  Moose-A-ljeck 
Iveach  ;  ]\Iarlv  Island  lying  out  at  the  entrance.  Jones- 
port  is  pleasantly  situated.  A  few  houses  are  scat- 
tered near  the  shore,  and  further  on  is  a  small  \  illau!:e. 
It  was  from  this  place  that  the  colonists  went  forth  to 
settle  at  Joppa.  It  does  not  look  like  a  place  capable 
of  producing  romantl:  visionaries  like  those  who 
undertook  to  revolutionize  Palestine.  Opposite  lie 
numerous  small  islands  with  a  iaw  poor  cottages. 
Jonesport  is  noted  for  its  fine  trout  fishing.  It  has  a 
new  hotel,  and  will  erelong  become  a  popular  resort. 
Next  the  mouth  of  Englisliman's  Bay  is  passed,  witli 
Shorey's  Island.  In  the  distance,  at  sea,  Pulpit  or 
Split  Rock  appears,  a  little  to  the  right  of  which  is  the 
saddle-' iliaped  island  known  as  the  Brothers.  Next  is 
Green  Island,  curiouslv  formed,  and  sarmounted  bv 


Grand  Jllcnan. 


239 


us  a 
esovt. 
with 
it  or 
s  the 
ext  is 
(1  bv 


conical-shaped  liills.  A  hirixe  Hock  of  jjulls  was 
restiiiiJC  on  the  nearest.  Oiher  islands  consttmtlv 
rise  np  as  we  pa^s.  Among  them  is  Libhey's  Kland 
with  its  I'ufhthonse,  Pettiijrew's,  Cross  Ishmd  with  its 
deer  and  cave  containinti'  bnried  ff<dd  whicli  nnlbr- 
tunately  no  one  can  find,  and  Stone's  and  Brown's 
Island.  On  Stone's  was  a  fish-hawks'  nest  in  tlie  top 
of  a  dead  tree.  Passing  these,  Yellow  Head  is  next 
seen  standinc:  at  the  west  entrance  of  Machias  Ihiv, 
with  Chauncey's  Island  on  the  east.  Buck's  lIarl)or 
is  a  snug  little  i)lacc  near  Yellow  Head.  Numerous 
other  islands  are  spriidvled  about,  adding  to  the  beauty 
of  the  bay. 

ft- 

Here  a^ijain  we  were  on  historic  ijround,  and  were 
reminded  of  the  celebrated  fight  off  3Iachias.  One 
of  the  natives,  who  knew  every  inch  of  land  and  water 
in  this  vicinity,  but  unfortunately  was  not  posted  in 
history,  undertook  to  tell  me  how  it  was. 

*•  You  see,"  said  he,  '•  when  they  found  out  what 
the  British  were  about,  they  just  filled  the  hold  of  the 
sloop  with  men  armed  with  j)itchforks  and  pikes,  cov- 
ered the  deck  W4th  sheep,  and  then  sailed  down  the 
harbor.     When  they  liot  alongside  the    British    they 


asked  them  if  thev  wanted  to  trade,  and  when  thev 
said  they  did,  the  m<'n  rushed  u})  out  of  the  hold  and 
took  the  British  in  a  minute."  This  was  making  tol- 
erably short  work  of  it. 

From  Machias,  wliich  bears  numerous  scars  of  war, 
we  i)roceeded  twenty-six  miles  overland  to  Lubec  by 


240 


Grand  ]\Tcnan. 


stage.  This  is  tlic  nearest  point  of  departure  for 
Grand  ^Fenan.  Tlie  road  thither  is  pleasant,  and,  on 
aj)proacliing  the  end,  the  ishind  lying  out  against 
the  horizon  presented  a  hjng,  le\el,  j)urple  wall.  Of 
Lubec  not  much  can  be  said.  There  are  some  mines 
of  silver  and  lead  near,  and  it  is  not  without  attrac- 
tions as  a  fishin^j  villauce  ;  vet,  on  the  whole,  we  con- 
eluded  that  it  was  a  good  i)lace  to  get  away  from. 
This,  however,  is  not  such  an  easy  matter,  if  one's 
course  lies  towards  the  sea.  The  steamer  w liich  luns 
from  Boston  to  Eastport  will  connect  the  tourist  with 
the  packet  sailing  weekly  from  the  latter  i)lace  to 
Grand  ^lenan,  usually  leavinijj  on  Saturdav  and  re- 
turning  to  Eastport  the  following  AVednesday.  Ihit 
of  the  ])acket  we  could  learn  nothing:.  Thev  did  not 
know  whether  she  had  dropped  down  from  Eastport 
(three  miles  above)  or  not.  In  fact,  while  it  was 
utterly  inii)Ossible  for  a  tom-cod  to  pass  the  docks 
niirht  or  day  without  beinix  seen  and  caui^ht.  the  i^ood 
peo^de  knew  no  more  of  the  packet  than  some  of  the 
revenue  ollicers  here  know  (perha})s)  about  smug- 
iiTnn»-.  The  sum  of  the  whole  matter  was,  that,  if  I 
wished  to  go  to  Menan,  I  had  better  hire  a  boat.  I 
thought  so  too,  on  the  whole,  as  the  weather  was  line 
and  the  breeze  fresh  and  fair.  The  lishermen  with 
whom  1  spoke  seemed  to  thiidv  this  a  htippy  decision  ; 
and  now  who  should  have  the  job?  1  liiially  bar- 
gained with  a  good  honest  fellow  for  a  live-ton  her- 
ring boat  and  a  crew  of  two  men.     AVe  (that  is,  Ama- 


Grand  Mcnaii. 


241 


for 

on 
inst 

Of 
ines 
rtic- 
cou- 
Vom. 
one's 

runs 

with 

CO   to 

\\  re- 

But 

1(1  not 

,tpovt 
lit  was 

(locks 

I'  dood 


(> 


f  ilie 


^\\\\\% 


«r- 


Ut.  1 
lit. 


i  I 


us 


I'lllO 


U    NVl 


ih 


(•i>u>u  ; 


)U 


luir- 

lier- 

Auia- 


rhitu  and  T)  tluMi  luirried  on  l)oard  with  onr  bniiixnirc 
'J'iie  skipper  l)rouglit  down  a  com^iass,  sonic  liard 
brcaik  and  a  juu,-  of  water,  and  at  on(^e  we  were 
sweeping  down  the  harbor  past  Cami)0  Bello,  favored 
l)y  wind  and  tide. 

liciiig  now  fairly  on  the  way,  tliere  was  an  oppor- 
tunity to  count  up  tlie  dilTicuhies  of  the  voyag(\  The 
distance  from  West  Quoddy  Head  to  Menan  is  only 
about  nine  miles,  yet  sometimes  it  takes  a  week  to 
get  across.  Fogs,  calms,  tides  and  adverse  gales 
combine  to  stop  the  passage  of  a  sailing  vessel. 
Pin* or,  who  with  his  brother  artist  preceded  us,  said 
that  thev  had  a  hard  lime  of  it.  Losinjj  the  iKicket, 
thev  chartered  a  iishinu  boat  at  Kastport,  but  ixot  no 
farther  than  the  cas<^  side  of  Cam[)o  Hello,  when  the 
fog  forced  them  to  take  shelter  in  a  fisherman's  hut 
in  a  cove,  for  two  davs  and  niixhts.  Finallv  a  lishinij: 
vessel  bound  to  Menan  came  into  the  cove,  and,  the 
weatlier  opportunely  clearing,  they  engaged  ])assage 
and  embarked.  After  beating  about  the  15ay  of 
Fundv  all  idiiht,  thev  were  landed  on  the  east  bide  of 
Menan  in  the  morn  in  jx. 

For  ourselves  we  happily  esca})ed  all  this,  and  so 
mav  others,  if  thev  carefullv  lav  their  i>lans.  Instead 
of  being  two  days,  we  made  tlie  trip  in  little  more 
than  two  hours,  as  our  little  craft,  under  a  heavv  load 
of  canvas,  swept  over  the  wave,  like  a  gull  on  the 


wmu^. 


As  we  advanced,   ^lenan  ijt'aduallv  rose  above  the 


242 


Graud  Mtiian. 


waves  and  cliangfMl  its  aspect,  tlic  llat-toi)pe(l  ])ur[)Ie 
wall  being  transmutetl  into  l)rovvn,  rngged,  perpen- 
dicular clitls,  crowned  with  dark  green  foliage.  Pass- 
ing as  we  did  close  in  by  the  extreme  northern  point, 
we  were  imjn'essed  bv  its  V)eanty  and  grandeur,  which 
far  exceeds  even  that  of  the  cliifs  at  Mount  Desert. 
Then  came  the  l>ishoi)'s  Head,  presenting  the  rude 
outline  of  what  appears  like  a  tonsured  monk  sitting 
in  a  chair.  It  is  not  so  definite  in  its  outline  as  the 
Friar's  Head  at  Campo  Bello,  yet,  taken  altogether,  it 
surpasses  it  by  far.  A  little  further  on  is  Eel  Brook 
Cove,  with  its  fine  rocky  cliflTs.  At  this  place  the 
shij)  Lord  Ashburton  was  wrecked.  Several  of  the 
crew  were  saved,  yet  the  marvel  is  how  they  got  up 
the  steep  rocks.  In  the  graveyard  near  Flagg's  Cove, 
the  bodies  of  twenty-one  of  the  unfortunates  lie  side 
bv  side. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  dashed  gaily  into  Whale 
Cove,  a  broad  bay  in  the  form  of  a  horse-shoe,  indent- 
ing the  northern  end  of  the  island.  Here  the  view 
is  surprisingly  fine,  the  entire  shore  being  cii'cled  by 
inunense  clitls  that  rise  up  around  the  border  of  the 
blue  waves,  with  a  richness  of  color  and  stateliness  of 
as}>ect  that  cannot  fail  to  impress  the  beholder. 

l>ut  we  had  no  time  now  lo  stay  and  study  the 
clifis  in  detail,  as  our  destination  was  Flagg's  Cove, 
and  we  were  in  doubt  about  its  precise  locality.  "Wo 
accordingly  ran  down  to  a  fishing  boat,  and,  on 
inquiry,  learned  that  the  cove   in   question  made    in 


Grand  Mcnan. 


^4o 


on  rlic  eastern  side  of  tlie  inland,  extejidi,)-  to  witl.in 
a  (luarter  of  a  mile  of  Whale  Cove.  Our  skipper  had 
c  >;m-aeted  to  eariy  us  to  the  former  place,  but  as  the 
ni-lit  was  eomiuo-  on.  and  he  was  anxious  to  get  the 
l):H-('/e  home  a<rain.  we  released  liim  from  the  bar-rain 
•'!"!  were  put  a.hore.  Ou  the  whole  it  was  best, 
and  persons  eomin-  as  we  did,  will  generally  do  well 
tn  land  here;  that  is,  of  course,  if  the  surf  should  not 
prove  high.  The  northerly  gales,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, (hive  directly  upon  the  land. 

Our  craft   was   brought  to  close   by  the  shore,  and 
we   reached  the  beacii    in   a   dory.     Some    fishermen 
.were  dressing  hake  near  their  boat-houses,  and  two  or 
three  small  boys  were  at  i.lay.     Our  arrival   attracted 
the   latter,    who   at   once    came    down    to    us.     As    I 
jumped  upon  the   soil  of  the    Dominion,  I   addressed 
one  of  the  brightest  of  them,  saying  that  I  supposed 
he  was  one  of  Victoria's  b.ns.     To  this  he  snarled  a 
most  emphatic  -No."     1  tohl  liim   that  he  need  not 
feel  ashamed  of  so  sweet  a  lady  and  so  good  a  (^leen ; 
yet  for  all   that  he  said   nay.     Jt   was    the   blood  of 
Cape   Cod  and  Cape  Ann  that  cohered    his  freckled 
face;  the  same  that  coursed  in    the    veins  of  the  old 
priva^eersmen.      AVhat    saith   the  poet?     Cailum    7wn 
animnm    mutant,    qui    tram    mare    cnrrunt ;    which 
means  that  the   .Alarbleheader  may  change  skies  and 
fishing    grounds,     but     not     his    inveterate     Yankee 
notions.     Still  we  are  supposed  here  to  be  under  the 
protection  of  Her  3Iajesty's   Flag,  and  so,   God  save 


244 


Grand  Mcnan. 


ill 
li 


tlic  Queen.  To  wliicli  Amarinta,  stepping  ashore, 
says,  Amen,  })referrin<^  tlie  reign  of  Victoria  much 
heforc  tliat  of  Nei)tune. 

Next  we  arraiiijed  witli  tlie  fisliermen  to  carry  our 
baggage  across  to  Flagg's  Cove,  as  soon  as  they  had 
l)ickhMl  their  hist  liake,  then  bade  our  trusty  skipper 
good-by.  and  started  on  aliead  tlirough  a  hme,  passing 
a  cf)ui)le  of  fisliermen's  cottages,  the  graves  of  the 
Asliburton's  crew,  the  school-house  with  a  belfrv  and 
rat-tail  s|)ire,  and  the  bulging  sides  of  the  new  town 
liall,  to  wliich  the  scarcity  of  the  public  funds  cruelly 
denies  a  roof.  In  due  time  I  found  the  house  to 
whicli  I  had  been  recommended  by  an  artist  of  New 
York,  wlio  had  spent  three  summers  here,  and  which 
others  may  also  readily  find  without  any  public  men- 
tion of  names.  Leaviuij  wave-tossed  Amarinta  to 
recover  from  the  lunging  of  the  great  lierring-boat,  let 
us  take  a  <dance  at  the  earlier  days  of  Grand  Menan. 

Menan  is  an  Indian  word  siixnifvino;  an  island. 
The  Passamaquoddy  Indians,  in  response  to  my 
inquiries  when  at  their  yillage,  gave  me  seyeral 
words  of  a  similar  sound,  which  all  have  the  same 
signilication.  The  island  first  appears  in  the  yoyage 
of  Chamjdain  in  1(j05.  lie  speaks  of  it  as  the  island 
called  by  the  savages  Manthane.  lie  is  careless  in  the 
spelling  of  this  aud  many  other  proper  names.  In 
another  instance  he  calls  it  Manasnc.  He  anchored 
once  near  its  southern  head.  Down  to  the  period  of 
the  Revolution,  it  appears  to  have  been  inhabited  only 


Grand  Mcnan. 


^45 


age 


by  the  Indians.  A  farmer  near  Eel  I>rook  gave  me 
a  stone  chisel  tliat  belonged  to  the  aboriirinos.  It 
was  ploughed  uj)  in  a  lield.  During  tho  Kevidution 
the  Indians  who  resorted  hitlier  were  allied  to  tlie 
American  cause.  Colonel  John  Allan,  who  in  1777 
conducted  operations  in  Eastern  Maine,  a[)pears  to 
have  had  more  or  less  connection  with  them.  lie 
speaks  in  his  journal  of  sending  otf  Indians  to  tiiis 
place,  and  also  of  issuing  orders  for  their  return.  In 
December,  he  sent  Ensign  Smith  to  Graml  Muuan, 
but  it  was  the  old  storv,  ''not  beini»:  able  from 
bad  weather  to  proceed."  If  any  white  men  settled 
here  piior  to  the  declaration  of  peace,  there  is  no 
record  of  the  fact  accessible. 

According  to  the  best  authority  to  be  had  just  now, 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  on  the  island  was  Closes 
Gerrish,  of  Massachusetts,  who  adhered  to  the  King 
when  the  Revolution  broke  out,  and  was  attached  to 
the  commissary  department  of  the  royal  army,  .\tter 
the  peace,  in  connection  with  Thomas  Uoss  and  »Iohn 
Jones,  he  obtained  license  of  occupation  of  this  inland, 
together  with  Xew  lirunswick  and  its  dependencies; 
and,  on  condition  of  obtaining  forty  settlers,  a  sch(jol- 
mast<n'  and  clergyman,  within  seven  years  of  the  date 
of  the  license,  they  were  to  have  a  grant  of  the  whole 
from  the  Crown.  They  sold  lots  in  anticipation  of 
the  title,  but  in  the  end  failed  to  get  the  gi-ant.  Jones 
returned  to  the  United  States,  and  Gerrish  and  Itoss 
remained.     Gerrish,   according  to    Sabine,  who  gives 


Ml 
I  J 


246 


Grand  Moian. 


these  facts,  possessed  some  ability.  He  was  described 
by  one  individual  as  a  man  wlio  "  wonld  spread  mure 
good  sense  on  a  sheet  of  paper"  than  any  person  of 
his  acquaintance.  Still  he  was  not  very  persistent, 
and  never  amassed  any  property.  He  was  always 
going  to  do  something.  He  was  a  magistrate  at 
Menan  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  in 
1830,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age. 

The  first  habitations  were  very  rude,  but  the  people 
have  continued  to  improve  the  character  of  their 
dwellings,  until  they  compare  very  favorably  with 
structures  of  a  corresponding  character  on  the  coast 
of  JMaiiie. 

The  island  itself  is  about  twenty-two  miles  long  and 
from  three  to  six  miles  wide.  It  lies  in  the  mouth  of 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  anciently  called  Frenchman's  Bay. 
The  furious  tide  for  which  this  bay  is  distinguished, 
sweeps  by  the  shores  with  great  force,  rising  eighteen 
feet  on  the  west  side  and  seventeen  on  the  east. 

The  highest  part  of  the  island  is  at  its  northern 
end,  where  the  clitfs  rise  four  hundred  feet,  gradually 
sloi)ing  as  they  extend  southward,  where,  at  the  ter- 
minus, they  are  three  hundred  feet  high.  The  land 
also  descends  eastward  until  in  the  middle  portions  it 
sinks  under  the  sea.  If  the  water  anion ir  the  islands 
on  the  south  side  were  filled  up,  Grand  3Ienan  wonld 
form  a  triangular-shaijcd  botly  of  land ;  but  then  the 
east  coast  would  be  as  destitute  of  harbors  as  the 
west.     As  it  remains,  the  eastern  shore   atibrds  many 


Grand  Mcnan. 


247 


facilities  to  the  shipping.  There  are  ik^  clitrs  011 
this  side,  except  at  the  northern  end,  and  in  une  or 
two  phiccs  towards  the  sonth.  Tlie  viUair<is  and  roads 
are,  of  course,  confined  to  tiie  Cast  side.  Onlv  a  lew 
narrow  cart-tracks  extend  to  the  west  side,  which  is 
generally  reached  by  going  through  the  woods  011 
foot. 

At  the  present  time  the  inhabitants  number  ab(jut 
eighteen  hundred.     There  are  not  less  than  four  hun- 
dred dwelling-houses  and  five  hundred  buildings  of  all 
other  kinds.     There  are  live  societies  of  Jiaptists,  and 
a    Church   of    England    Parish.     This    is  at    Grand 
Harbor.     The  schools  at  present  number   only   three, 
though,  according  to  a  legal  provision,  they  may  have 
seven.     The  inhabitants  maintain  a  militarv  ori-ani/a- 
tiou.     The  only  taxes  [)aid  are  for  the  county  and  the 
poor.     These  are  moderate.     They  hold  public  meet- 
ings, and  make  their  own  local  laws  without  let  or 
hindrance,  and  vote  for   whomsoever   they    [>lease  to 
represent  them  in   Parliament.     The  government  is 
liberal  everyway,  appropriating  a  certain  sum  annu- 
;ally  for  the  repair  of  roads,  and  selling    the  public 
i  .nds  to  any  one  who  will  buy  them  at  a  low  figure 
and  pay  the  price  by  building  a  road  to  his  own  door. 
It  would  do  some  of  our  blatant   Republican  friends 
who    indulge    in   so    much   spread-eagleism    on    the 
Fourth  of  July,  to  come  down  to   Grand  3Ienan  and 
view  these  institutions  for  themselves.     On  the   other 
hand,  certain  of  the  grumbling  Menanites  woidd  do 


. 


248 


Grand  Mcnan. 


well  to  throw  their  nets  for  a  season  in  the  waters  of 
^lassachusetts  Bay,  where  the  Cape  Codder  is  taxed 
thirty  dollars  in  the  thousand  to  keep  his  sandy  roads 
from  being  devoured  by  tlie  wind,  and  wlierc  the 
State  and  National  dues  make  men  siek  even  to  think 
of  them.  Happy  Menanites,  who,  free  from  grinding 
taxation,  now  rove  out  from  rock-bound  coves,  and 
quarry  at  will  in  the  silvery  mine^  of  the  sea  I 

l>ut  this  is  not  all.  Trade  is  absolutely /rec.  Here 
no  smuggler  waits  the  favorable  tide,  or  the  oblivious 
foij,  to  run  his  contraband  canoe  into  solitarv  nooks 
and  creeks,  as  at  Campo  Bello  and  Lubec.  No  descend- 
ant of  Matthew  the  Publican  sits  at  the  receipt  of 
Customs  to  ask  the  nature  of  his  freight.  This  port 
is  open  to  every  market  of  the  world.  From  sillv  to 
nutmei:^  all  is  free.  Daintv  damsels  can  buv  their 
kids  at  prices  fabulously  low,  while  some  besides 
Dives  know  that  purple  and  line  linen  may  be  eco- 
nomically worn,  lint,  speaking  of  kids,  they  are  not 
much  needed  here,  liuckskin,  for  the  hands,  is  bet- 
ter, while  among  the  cliffs  the  feet  should  be  iron- 
shod. 

The  great  attraci^ion  of  Grand  Menan,  is  the  cliffs. 
Of  mountains  there  are  none.  The  place  is  altogether 
unlike  Mount  Desert.  As  has  already  been  said, 
when  seen  from  the  main,  it  appears  perfectly  Hat. 
Not  a  hummock  breaks  the  entire  line  of  wall. 
Among  these  clitls  we  daily  went  a  ••  cruising,"  as  our 
landlady  termed  it,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  place. 


Grand  Moiaiu 


249 


An  ordinary  cliiT  is  a  line  tiling.  To  sec  tlic  living 
rock  that  has  been  rent  in  twain  by  cons  nl.sions,  lift- 
ing high  np  its  scarred  front,  maintaining  an  innnttv- 
able  calm  both  in  sunshine  and  storm,  is  always 
impressive;  but  when  the  clilV  is  brought  out  on 
such  a  stupendous  scale  as  at  Grand  ^Menan,  with 
all  the  accessories  of  a  wild  ocean  shore,  the  interest 
becomes  absorbing.  The  other  parts  of  the  islaml 
are  of  course  invested  with  much  interest.  The  lov/ 
eastern  shore,  fringed  with  small  islands  and  riK'ks. 
affords  many  beautiful  sights.  In  a  j>lcasant  d;iy,  a 
walk  southward  has  many  charms.  The  bright  sky, 
the  shingle  beach,  the  jncturesque  boats,  and  blue  land- 
locked bays  continually  enforce  the  admiration  of  an 
artistic  eye,  and  allure  the  pedestrian  on  past  cape, 
cove  and  reach,  until  he  suddenly  finds  that  miles  of 
ground  intervene  between  him  and  his  dinner. 

But  whoever  comes  here  will  desire  to  tra\  erse  the 
entire  island  and  visit  the  regions  around  the  southern 
liead.  Startinir  from  Fla<j;:u:'s  Cove,  the  first  foui miles 
carry  us  over  a  hard  road,  as  good  as  the  drives  in  an 
ordinary  park,  which  skirts  the  shores  of  Long  Island 
Lay,  and  leaving  us  at  Woodward's  Cove,  liesides  the 
village  meeting  house,  a  second  is  passed  during  this 
stage  of  the  journey,  in  addition  to  a  small  cha[,el ;  for 
whatever  else  there  may  be  wanting  here,  there  is  no 
lack  of  ecclesiastical  establishments.  At  the  cove 
there  is  a  post  office  and  various  herring  establish- 
ments, as   well  as  a  collection  of  dwellings.     Three 


1 


2;o 


Grand  Mcnan. 


miles  farther  on  is  Grand  Cove,  a  s])aeioiis  but  shal- 
low harbor.  Ilei'o  is  the  English  Church,  a  plain 
structure  of  stone,  uith  no  special  attractions  of  any  sort 
to  render  it  interesting.  Eitualism  has  never  invaded 
its  walls,  and  a  good  portion  of  one  end  is  lilled  up 
by  an  enormous  pulpit  and  reading  desk  of  a  pattern 
suggestive  of  Noah's  Ark.  Opposite  the  church  is  the 
school-house.  I  stopped  here  when  ridir»g  down  the 
island  and  [)icked  up  a  sup[)ly  of  ammunition  to  salute 
the  village  curs  that  snapped  at  our  nag's  heels  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  stopped  at  the  school-room  to  make 
some  inquiries  about  the  route.  Tho  pedagogue  was 
within,  seated  upon  his  throne,  instructing  the  young 
idea  how  to  shoot,  surrounded  by  about  twenty  un- 
kempt boys.  We  were  invited  to  walk  in  and  view 
the  school  ;  but  as  we  had  a  long  ride  before  us  we 
thanked  the  master  and  declined  the  invitation  for 
the  time.  We  then  left  the  line  of  the  shore  alto- 
gether, and  struck  through  a  new  road,  running  over 
a  piece  of  marshy  land  covered  with  young  trees,  and 
continued  until  we  reached  Seal  Cove,  which  is  five 
miles  farther  on  the  way.  Here  a  brook  em[)ties  into 
a  wee  harbor,  the  mouth  of  which  is  nearly  closed  up 
by  a  wharf.  Small  vessels,  however,  manage  to 
squeeze  in,  and  lie  in  safety.  From  thence  for  some 
distance  the  road  is  quite  hilly.  On  its  most  elevated 
part  was  another  Baptist  meeting  house.  It  being  an 
umisually  warm  day  for  Grand  ]\renan,  a  flock  of 
sheep   had  assembled  in  its   shade.      They  found  it 


Grand  Mcnan, 


2;r 


grateful.  Fiirtlier  on  ;ve  had  a  view  of  the  ooeaii  ;iii<l 
tlio  iieigliboring  isles,  nhile  at  the  same  time  ilic 
woods  retreated  and  left  an  open  down  sprinkled  ujih 
slieep.  Tlie  prospect  here  reminded  me  of  >()nic  liiiL-.s 
from  Dyer: 

"  Such  arc  tlio  downs  of  Baustcnd,  0(l/,''d  with  woods, 
And  tow'ry  villas;  Midi  Dorcotiinn  lields, 
Whose'  flocks  iuniun'roiH  wiiitcn  all  tlic  hiiid; 
Such  those  shjw  climbing  wilds,  that  lead  tiic  fctcp 
Insensibly  to  Dover'8  windy  dill". 
Tremendous  liciglit!  and  such  tlieclovcrcd  lawns 
And  sunny  mounts  of  beauteous  ^'ormanton." 

Crossing  this  place  we  descended  when  the  road 
again  returned  to  the  line  of  the  shore,  which  here 
holds  up  to  the  sea  a  high  ].er[)endicular  wall.  At 
the  end  of  fourteen  miles  from  Flagg's  C(jve,  we 
rciiched  the  house  of  Mr.  Walter  B.  .McLaughlin,  a 
son  of  an  old  Waterloo  veteran,  and  one  of  the  li\e 
men  of  Menan.  Here,  like  Goldsmith's  hrokeii  sol- 
dier, we  were  '-kindly  bade  to  stay,"  and  accepted  an 
invitation  to  pass  the  night. 

Mr.  McLauglilin  is  the  keeper  of  the  famous  Ganiu't 
Rock  Lighthouse,  and  holds  other  appoititmeiits  under 
the  Dominion.  Thoroughly  true  to  Her  ]\Lij\st\'.  the 
Queen,  he  is  at  the  same  time  heartily  in  syinjiatliv 
with  the  loyal  people  of  the  L^iited  States,  and  intel- 
ligently follows  them  iu  all  their  conflicts.  The  light- 
house of  which  he  has  the  charge  may  be  seen  in 
clear  weather,  a  mere  speck  out  at  sea.  It  stands 
upon  a  small  rock,  just  large  enough  to   receive  the 


252 


Grand  Me  nan. 


establishment,  wliicli  comb'iies  beacon  and  dwelling  in 
one.  Access  to  the  rock  can  be  had  onlv  ii\  calm 
weather,  coiiscijuently  in  the  winter  season,  in  com- 
pany with  his  family,  he  is  a  fast  prisoner,  not  having 
so  much  as  a  foot  of  ground  to  walk  on,  and  the  waves 
ever  thundcrinij  aujainst  the  wall.  It  beiiiir  hne 
weather,  I  chanced  to  find  him  ashore,  directing  his 
haying,  and  obtained  some  of  the  local  statistics.  The 
situation  of  his  land  home  is  extremely  fine,  as  the 
breakers  dush  continually  against  the  rocks  only  a 
few  yards  from  the  door. 

Two  miles  further  south  is  Deep  Cove,  where  a 
brawlini;,  dark-brown  brook  comes  out  tlnouiih  an 
opening  in  a  sea-wall  thrown  up  by  the  waves  across 
its  mouth.  From  this  point  the  road  goes  on  l)ut  a 
short  distance  before  it  terminates.  The  pedestrian 
must  then  push  on  through  paths  for  the  rest  of  the 
distance  to  the  Southern  Head.  Here  he  will  come 
upon  the  clifis,  and  find  the  rocks  thrown  up  in  the 
wildest  confusion.  Pintor  and  his  friend  found  much 
sameness  in  them  as  rock  studies.  One  of  the  most 
remarkable  objects  here  is  an  isolated  rock,  or  drong, 
resembliuL'"  the  iiixure  of  a  colossal  woman.  It  is 
known  as  tliC  Old  Maid,  and  is  found  on  the  west  side 
of  the  head.  It  excites  more  admiration  than  the 
general  class  known  by  the  name.  It  has  no  tongue. 
The  other  princi[)al  point  of  interest  found  in  tliis 
vicinity  is  Bradford's  Cove.  It  is  readied  by  a  path 
through  the  woo(ts.     In  an  eastc'-ly  gale  it  is  a  pluco 


Grand  Mcnan. 


"DO 


of  safety,  yet  at  the  time  of  our  visit  (lie  masts  of  a 
lost  sliip,  tlie  Mavoureen,  were  seen  risiiii^  just  above 
the  top  of  the  waves.  Around  tlie  clil!s  of  the  Souf  horu 
Head  is  a  favorite  nestiuir  nhice  for  the  ixulls,  whieli  lav 
their  gray  eggs,  splashed  witli  brown,  in  rude  nests, 
contrived  with  little  care  amonij  the  ijjrass.  Tliev  are 
also  found  in  one  or  two  of  the  islands  near  by.  The 
Indians  take  the  younix  ixidls  and  carry  them  a\vay. 
I  saw  several  of  them  at  Pleasant  Point  that  had  been 
thus  torn  from  the  parental  nest  at  Grand  Menan. 
Thev  were  tamer  than  chickens,  and  were  beinijj  fat- 
tened  on  porpoise  for  some  future  feast. 

Audubon  visited  Grand  ]Menan  in  May,  1833,  and 
landed  at  White  Head  Island,  the  property  of  ]Mr. 
Frankland,  where  he  inspected  the  herring  gulls, 
then  breedinix  in  jjreat  numbers.  Ilis  account  of  these 
birds  is  of  much  interest,  lie  savs  :  "  We  immedi- 
ately  set  out  in  search  of  them,  directing  our  ccnirse 
toward  the  pine  wood,  in  which  we  were  informed  we 
should  lind  them.  As  we  came  up  to  the  place  I 
observed  that  many  of  the  gulls  had  alighted  on  the 
fir  trees,  while  a  vast  number  were  sailing  around,  and 
when  we  advanced,  the  former  took  to  wing,  aban- 
doninix  their  nests  and  all  llew  auout  utterinjjj  inces- 
sant  cries.  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  see  the  nests 
placed  on  branches,  some  near  the  top,  others  about 
the  middle  or  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  trees,  while  at 
the  same  time  there  were  many  on  the  ground.  It  is 
true  I  had  been  informed  of  this  by  our  captain,  but 


254 


Grand  Mcna7t. 


I  had  almost  believed  that  on  arriving  at  the  spot  I 
sliould  find  the  birdj  not  to  be  gulls.  My  doubts,  how- 
ever, were  now  dispelled,  and  I  was  delighted  to  see 
how  nature  had  provided  them  with  the  means  of 
securing  thair  eggs  from  their  arch-enemy,  man.  ]My 
delight  was  greatly  increased  on  being  afterwards 
informed  by  Mr.  Frankhind  that  the  strange  habit  in 
question  had  been  acquired  by  the  gulls  within  his 
recollection  ;  for,  said  he,  '  when  I  first  came  here, 
many  yeai's  ago,  they  all  built  their  nests  on  the  moss 
and  in  0})en  ground ;  but  as  my  sons  and  the  fisher- 
men collected  most  of  their  eixijjs  for  winter  use,  and 
sadly  annoyed  the  poor  things,  the  old  ones  gradually 
began  to  put  up  their  nests  on  the  trees  in  the  thick- 
est part  of  the  woods.  The  youngest  birds,  however, 
still  have  some  on  the  gi'ound,  and  on  the  whole  are 
becomini;  le>s  wild  since  I  have  forbidden  strangers  to 
rob  their  nests  ;  f  jr,  gentlemen,  you  are  the  only  per- 
sons out  of  my  family  that  have  fired  a  gun  on  White 
Head  Island  for  several  years  past.'  I  was  much 
pleased  with  the  humanity  of  our  host,  and  requested 
him  to  let  me  know  when  all  the  gulls,  or  the  greater 
part  of  them  would  abandon  the  trees  and  resume 
their  former  mode  of  breeding  on  the  ground,  which 
he  i)romised  to  do.  But  I  afterwards  found  that  this 
was  not  likely  to  happen,  because  on  some  other 
islands  not  far  distant,  to  which  the  fishermen  aud 
eggers  have  free  access,  these  gulls  breed  altogether 
on   the  trees,  even  when  their  eiiixs  ivud  vounir  are 


Grand  Mcnaii. 


regularly  reiiGwetl  every  year,  so  tliat  their  oiiginal 
]ial)its  have  been  entirely  given  u[t.  Some  oi  tlie 
nests  which  I  saw  were  placed  at  the  height  of  more 
tliaii  forty  feet  on  the  trees  ;  others,  seen  in  thii  tliiok- 
est  part  of  tlie  woods,  were  eiglit  or  ten  feet  from  tlie 
ground,  and  were  placed  close  to  the  main  stem, 
so  as  to  be  v/ith  dilliculty  observed.  It  was  tiuly 
curious  to  see  the  broad-winged  birds  make  their  way 
to  and  from  them  in  these  secluded  retreats.  The 
nests  placed  on  tlie  ground  w^ere  several  yards  apart, 
and  measured  from  fifteen  to  eiijhteen  inches  in  diam- 
eter,  their  cavity  being  from  four  to  six.  The  lower 
stratum  consisted  of  grass,  plants  of  various  kinds, 
moss  and  grey  lichens,  and  the  whole  was  lined  with 
line  bent,  l)ut  without  any  feathers.  Those  on  the 
trees  measured  from  twentv-four  to  twentv-six  inches 
in  diameter  externally,  and  were  composed  of  the 
sani'?  material,  but  in  greater  quantity,  the  object  of 
which  1  thought  might  be  to  allow  more  space  to  the 
young  while  growing,  as  they  could  enjoy  the  pleasure 
of  running  about  like  those  hatched  on  the  ground. 
Perhaps,  however,  the  smaller  size  of  the  nests  i)laced 
there  mav  be  owiiiix  to  their  belon^ini,'  to  tln^  vounirer 
gulls,  as  I  have  often  observed  tliat  the  older  the  indi- 
vidual the  larger  is  the  nest.  About  the  beginning  of 
May  the  ITerring  gulls  collect  into  great  lh)cks  for  the 
purpose  of  re[)roducing,  and  betake  themselves  to  tlie 
laicre  sand-bars  or  mud-liats  at  low  water.  With  the 
aid  of  a  glass  you  may  sec  them  going  through  their 


156 


Grand  Mcnan, 


courtsliips;  the  males  swell  their  throats,  walk  proudly 
about,  tlirow  tlieh'  h(}a<ls  upwards,  and  emit  their  love 
ii:)tcs.  These  general  meetings  take  place  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  according  to  the  state  of  the  tide,  and  con- 
tinue for  about  a  fortnight,  when  they  all  depart  and 
l)etake  themselves  to  the  island  where  they  breed." 

Leavinjx  this  i^xrt  of  Grand  ^Nlenau  w*th  many 
reuf.ets,  we  returned  to  Flaijix's  Cove  to  examine  that 
region  with  more  care. 

One  day,  when  an  easterly  gale  was  blowing,  Pin- 
tor  and  I  improved  the  occasion  to  walk  around 
Sprague's  Co\e  and  Swallow  Tail  Light.  Three 
fourths  of  a  mile  northward  brouirht  us  to  the  cliffs 
sourli  of  the  cove,  and  following  these  we  reached  the 
shore  of  (he  plac'e  in  question.  All  the  way  along 
tliov  arc  ixrandlv  shattered  and  wave-worn,  nreseiitinir 
perfect  pictures  at  every  step.  Tlie  sight  of  harebells 
and  wild  roses  drenched  by  the  salt  spray,  and  still 
h;)lding  on  against  the  gale  in  some  crevice  half  way 
d  )wn  the  clilf,  taught  a  lesson  of  confidence. 

Sprague's  Cove  itself  presents  the  most  com[)lete 
view  of  a  llshinix  hamlet  that  I  have  anvwhen^  found. 
Evury;hing  likewise  appears  to  have  been  arranged 
for  artistic  ellect.  The  old  boats,  the  tumble-down 
srore-hou^es,  the  picturesque  costumes,  the;  breaking 
sui'f,  and  all  the  miscellaneous  paraphernalia  of  such 
a  place,  set  off  as  thev  arc  bv  the  noble  back-irround 
of  richly-c;)lored  clifls,  ]iro(luce  an  ett'ect  that  is  as 
rare  as  beautiful.     Certainlv  no  artist  should  under- 


Grand  Mcnan. 


^S7 


own 
vinu 
;ucli 
[und 
lis 
klor- 


take  to  depict  scenes  of  this  character  before  lie  has 
Stiulied  Spragiie's  Cove.  AVo  viewed  it  in  all  its 
aspects  on  this  stormy  day,  noted  the  best  points  to 
sketch  from  the  coming  summer ;  and  then  began  to 
climb  the  south  side  of  Swallow  Tail  Head,  which 
here  spreads  out  eastward  into  the  sea,  taking  the 
form  of  the  caudal  appendage  belonging  to  the  said 
bird.  The  tide  being  down,  we  first  passed  through  a 
huge  passage  eaten  out  of  a  projecting  bastion  of  the 
clilf.  Afterwards  we  climbed  straight  up  over  (he 
fallen  rocks.  When  half  way  up  we  looked  back  and 
saw  in  the  face  of  the  clitf  throu'di  which  we  had 
passed,  a  striking  prolile  that  bore  so  strong  a  resem- 
blance to  the  face  of  Washini^ton  that  we  knew  Victo- 
ria  would  not  object  for  a  m^nnent  to  our  naming  it 
"Washington's  Cliff."  This  we  did,  and  so,  gentle 
reader,  when  you  go  to  Sprague's  Cove  next  sununer, 
please  use  your  (potent)  inliuence  to  help  make  the 
name  stick. 

Nearing  the  top  of  the  cliff,  we  began  to  under- 
stand how  one  or  two  men  of  the  Ashburton's  crew 
got  up  Eel  Brook  rocks ;  for,  when  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  top,  the  force  of  the  gale  well  nigh  lifted  us 
up,  withmit  any  effort  on  our  part.  Once  on  the  top, 
we  walked  along  on  the  greensward  out  towards  the 
light-hou.-^e,  breasting  the  heavy  gale.  The  point 
upon  which  it  stands  is  se[)arated  from  the  rest  of  the 
head  by  a  horrid  chasm,  crossed  by  a  narrow  bridge. 
There  is  first  a  steep  descent,  before   the   bridge  can 


258  Grand  Mcnaji. 

be  reached.  To  make  this  safe,  an  anchor  with  a 
rope  attached  is  planted  in  the  ground  at  the  top. 
Holding  firml}'  to  this,  we  cautiously  went  down  and 
crossed  the  bridge,  all  the  while  with  the  irale  tuirixin"" 
at  our  legs  and  trying  to  carry  them  off.  Passing 
the  lighthouse  and  climbing  out  to  the  extremity  of 
the  rocks,  Pintor  inserted  himself  in  a  crevice,  like  a 
Lermit-ciab  in  his  shell,  and  made  several  pencil 
sketches,  one  of  which  was  a  fishing  schooner  under 
double  reefs,  beating  around  into  the  cove.  The 
skipper's  (piick  eye  detected  us  in  our  hiding-places, 
as  his  vessel  passed  under  the  cliffs,  pitching  like  a 
porpoise,  and  held  on  to  the  maui  shrouds  while  he 
swung  his  "sou'wester"  for  a  salute.  In  the  evening 
he  came  ashore  to  our  cottage,  and  regaled  us  with 
the  account  of  the  wonderful  "sea-serpent,"  which 
had  just  been  captured  (by  the  newspai)ers)  at  Lake 
Utopia,  together  with  the  account  of  the  serpent  at 
Eagle  Lake  in  Mount  Desert,  which  has  already  been 
referred  to.  In  the  midst  of  this  irale  a  lishin<r  ves- 
sel  was  out  all  day  on  the  "  Klpplings,"  a  dangerous 
place  several  miles  at  sea,  where  they  seined  forty 
barrels  of  herring.  Such  facets  tell  us  soniethinir  of 
the  great  courage  and  uncompromisinir  perseverance 
of  these  lishermen,  who  constantly  brave  danger  in 
every  form. 

Leavitt,  in  one  of  his  porms,  gives  us  an  admirable 
picture  of  the  scene  at  8 wallow-Tail  Light  in  a 
stormy  day ; 


Grand  Mcnan,  259 

"The  picture  view!   what  wild  sublimity  ! 
Omnipotonce  has  waked  and  \n\\\\\  tiie  storm, 
Tos.<iii<r  the  deep  to  tumult.    Uound  that  tower, 
Iii.«iu^'  detiaiit  on  its  ocean-rock, 
Dashes  the  maniac  wave,  whoso  flyin;?  spray 
Hung  liigli  in  air,  beloro  tlio  tempest  streams, 
Win'io  seabirds  circle  on  exultant  wing, 
Silent  and  calm,  above  the  roar  and  foam 
Of  battling  elements." 

Another  point  at  this  end  of  the  ishmd  that  will 
bear  repeated  visits  is  Wluile  Cove,  where  we  lirst 
landed.  Tlie  shingle  beacli  extends  entirely  aeross 
tlie  bottom  of  the  cove,  and  is  very  higli  and  broad. 
Originally  the  water  extended  nearJj,'  if  not  quite 
through,  to  Flagg's  Cove,  where  the  ground  is  n..w 
occupied  by  a  meadow.  But  the  waves,  in  their 
haste  to  swallow  up  the  land,  quite  defeated  them- 
selves, and  in  their  fury  threw  up  a  barrier  wliich 
they  could  not  overpass  ;  thus  illustrating  the  habits 
of  those  men  who  always  stand  in  the  way  of  their 
own  advancement. 

On  this  beacli  are  found  some  extremely  fine  peb- 
bles of  porphyry,  jasper,  and  agate,  besides  other  min- 
erals  that  the  collectors  will  be  glad  to  bring  away. 
In  clear  calm  weather  this  place  has  a  wonderful 
attraction.  On  the  east  side  is  Fi>li  Head,  and  on  the 
west  Eel  Brook  and  Northern  Head,  the  latter  ex- 
tending out  beyond  its  neighbor,  and  between  are  the 
blue  sky  and  water.  At  low  tide,  the  nnco\'ered 
beach  allows  the  rambler  to  stray  as  far  as  Y.nX  Cove, 
but  it  is  idle  to  attempt  to  go  farth<3r,  without  ascend- 


26o 


Grand  Menan. 


ing  the  clifls  and  following  along  the  escari)iiient. 
Starting  from  AVliale  Cove,  we  found  the  line  of 
cliffs  continually  rising.  Its  geological  character  is 
also  variable.  A  large  portion  of  the  rock  shows 
signs  of  stratification,  but  there  are  also  immense 
masses  of  trap-rock,  a  great  deal  of  which  takes  the 
basaltic  character  of  Giant's  Causeway,  the  regularly- 
formed  columns  standing  closely  packed.  Among  the 
trap-rock  we  found  small  specimens  of  native  copper. 
Masses  of  this  material,  of  a  dozen  pounds  we^ght, 
have  been  found  in  the  fields  above  the  shore.  One 
of  the  natives,  who  saw  us  hammering  among  the 
rocks,  seemed  to  think  that  we  were  speculators  spy- 
ing out  the  land,  lie  accordingly  took  an  ax,  came 
after  us,  and  rendered  good  service  in  splitting  open 
the  trap.  If  anything  was  going  on,  he  evidently 
wanted  to  have  a  hand  in  it,  and  to  share  the  prize. 
Eventually  he  concluded  that  we  knew  no  more 
about  what  was  to  be  found  in  the  rocks  than  he  did. 
Assured  of  this,  he  returned  to  swing  a  scythe  in  a 
neiiihboriniij  field. 

On  one  of  those  extremely  foggy  days,  such  as 
occur  here  too  often,  Pintor  and  I  took  a  long  ramble 
under  the  clifls  among  the  slip])ery  rocks  that  lie  at 
their  base,  and  found  it  a  fatiguing  work,  though  we 
thought  it  iKiid.     This  time  we  had  none  of  those 

"  Bliic-l)ayred  dels 
That  drcario  hang  o'er  Dovcr'b  emblauiiched  clefs," 


sr 


!• 


Grand  Moian. 


261 


I)ut  the  gciHiiiie  ^NFenan  fo^,  direct  from  the  r,r;iiRl 
liank.  It  was  so  (kuiso  as  to  bo  perftujtly  oppressive, 
while  the  line  of  vision  was  hoiiiulod  hy  the  escarj)- 
meiit  of  the  clitfs  and  the  breakinix  snif  ch)se  l»v  on 
the  sliore.  We  conl<l  not  see  tlie  ocean,  yet  from  ont 
a:i  impenetrable  vail  it  lannched  its  booming  tlnmder, 
rollini;  sullenly  aijainst  these  lonix  adamantine  walls, 
and  lining  us  at  times  with  a  kind  of  inddinable 
dread  and  awe.  Still,  we  knew  the  ways  of  tl.v.  tide, 
and  felt  confident  that  there  was  no  danger  to  be 
apprehended  from  the  ''bore,"  which,  liigher  n[)  the 
l>ay  of  Fnndy,  puts  men  on  the  seashore  in  peril  of 
tlieir  lives.  Therefore,  we  scrambled  on  among  the 
rocks  and  heaps  of  drift-wood,  of  which  there  is 
enough  on  every  beach  to  gladden  ihe  hearts  of  all 
the  poor  widows  in  New  York.  As  we  passed  along, 
we  noted  the  i)lace  where  two  waterfalls  ordinarily 
belong.  Only  one  was  now  to  be  seen  coming  down 
the  cliff,  reduced  almost  to  a  thread,  and  s[)inning 
itself  into  a  veil  of  airy  lace  before  reachinii-  the  hot- 
bottom.  I  consoled  myself  for  the  failure  of  the 
water  with  a  reilection  of  Dr.  Johnson  at  the  em[»ty 
Fall  of  Tiers — Nature  never  jjjives  everything  at 
once.  Here  we  turned  and  pui'sued  the  homeward 
way,  lea\iiig  the  cliiis  behind  us  like  grand  melancholy 
ghosts,  doomed  to  haunt  the  fog  forever. 

It  was  a  far  dill'erent  day  that  we  dedicated  to 
Indian  Beach,  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,  and  the 
resort  of  the  rassama(|Uoddy  Indians.     It  is  full  four 


252 


Grand  Mcuan. 


miles  from  FIm^^i^'s  Cove,  and  in  going  tliithcr  it  will 
not  i)rove  amiss  to  lake  a  boat  at  Whale  Cove  and 
sail  around,  on  account  of  the  ditFiculty  of  the  walk. 
Amarinta,  Tintor  aiid  I  took  a  wagon  as  far  as  the 
head  of  Eel  Brook,  where  the  road  running  across  the 
island  ends.  The  rest  of  the  journey  was  done  on 
loot.  From  the  end  of  the  road  we  moved  westward 
and  crossed  J^^el  Brook,  a  stream  that  runs  from  its 
Hource  in  a  little  lal^e  near  by,  to  the  cove,  where  it  is 
lost  in  the  sea.  At  the  brook  is  a  little  mill,  o.ie  of 
eleven  that  in  the  wet  season  do  the  sawing  of  ^lenan. 
The  rest  of  the  way  to  the  shore  lies  through  a  wood- 
path,  where  we  found  several  of  the  l)ark  lodges  that 
form  the  winter  camps  <;f  the  Indian  hunter.  There 
is  still  considerable  game  here,  though  for  the  past 
three  years  the  hunting  of  deer  has  been  strictly  pro- 
hibited. But  Indians,  and  certain  of  the  iMhabitants, 
have  no  regard  for  the  law.  There  is  (piite  a  large 
number  of  deer  on  the  island.  Our  landlady  told 
us  that  the  previous  summer  she  suddenly  came  face 
to  face  with  one  of  the  e  antlered  beauties,  who, 
after  looking  at  her  until  he  was  throroughly  satis- 
fied, turr.ed  and  capered  away  into  the  woods.  Mr. 
Gcrri.sh,  the  old  settler  already  alluded  to,  brought 
a  pair  of  moose  to  the  island  and  dismissed  them  to 
the  woods.  In  course  of  time  they  multiplied  to  such 
an  extent  that  moose  were  (piite  i)lenty.  In  1818  no 
less  than  a  dozen  were  killed.  They  have  now  be- 
(.'omc  exlinct. 


Grand  .Ifcnaii. 


263 


Xotwithsfaiidiiig  the   distance   from    the  mainland, 
the  deer   occasionally   swim   across   to    Jind   a  ivt'ii-ro 
from  the  dogs  who  are  feared  more  than   the  sMrning 
sea.     Of  the   fact  itself  there  can   be   no  donbt.      If 
I.oander   swam   the    Jldlespont    for    liis   love,    what 
may   not    a    [)owerfuI    deer    do    for  his    life?     Still, 
it  is  after  all   diiHcult  to  conceive  of  the  exact  mental 
state  of  an  animal  that  plunges  into  the  surf  at  \Vest 
(^{iioddy,  and  breasts  the  furious  tide  to  reach  the  low 
purple    wall  that    he  discovers   nine  miles   over  the 
waves.     How  does  he  know  that  there  is  land  there? 
He  may  scent  it,  but  do  not  conclude   that  he  knov/.s 
it,  though  his  eye  may  be  more  telescopic  than   ours. 
This   perhaps  is   the  solution  :    as    a  drownin<--   man 
catches  at  a  straw,  so  a  hotly-pressed  buck,  hearing' 
the  panting  of  the  hound,  accepts  what  resend)Ies  the 
Highlands   of  Neversink  as  a  sanctuary.     He    is    a 
<piick-witted,  sensible  creature,  and  when  he  sees  that 
he  has  but*one  chance,  he   takes  that  one  chance,  and 
makes  the    most   of   it.     The    crew  of  the  Keveiiue 
Cutter  lately  caught  a  noble   fellow  in    this   i<len(ical 
mood,  when  he  was  about  half-way  over,  and  hauled 
him   on   board.     I  did  not  hear  the   se<piel ;    but  let 
us  ];icture  the  jolly  tars  as   endowed  with  their  tradi- 
tional generosity,  which  leads  them  to  admire  coura-re 
n\   misfortune,  and   not  less  kind  than  the  sea.      As 
fjr  the  Indians,  they    have  as  little  regard  f>r  mercy 
a^   fjr  law  ;    and,   statute   or    no    statute,    thev    will 
have  the  venison  and  pelt.     In  these  little  lodges  that 


2u4 


Grand  Mciian. 


wc  were  just  speiking  of,  tliey  Crouch  around  tlio 
lire  kindled  in  tlio  middle  on  the  ground,  iind  doom 
the  ircntlo  fawns  to  deatli.  We  looked  into  several 
and  found  the  forked  sticks  that  serve  as  pot-hooks 
still  suspended  from  above.  The  coming  winter  they 
will  doubtless  return,  and  then  more  than  one  desper- 
ate buck  will  take  his  death-leap  down  the  clills  of 
Grand  JMenan. 

Passing  these  lodges,  the  path  eventually  ends  in 
the  open  Holds  near  the  cliiFs,  and  here  is  a  most  con- 
venient break,  where  we  descended  to  th(3  beach. 
This  place  is  known  as  Long's  Eddy,  as  the  tide  sees 
fit,  on  reaching  this  part  of  the  coast,  to  imitate  the 
playfulness  of  a  kitten  chasing  her  tail.  Here,  too,  the 
herring  sports  in  search  of  smaller  fry,  which  become 
Ids  pi-ey.  Dut  the  herring,  in  turn,  becomes  the  prey 
of  the  i)orpoise,  and  the  porpoise  the  prey  of  the 
Indian,  and  the  Indian  the  prey  of  the  Jil  factor. 
Where  the  law  of  retribution  ends  I  cannot  say,  but 
sometimes  it  certainly  reaches  the  dupes  in  the  grease 
department  of  Wall  Sti-eet. 

From  this  point  the  way  was  open  noi-thward  alon^- 
the  beach  to  the  line  crags  of  Bishoi)'s  Head.  Close 
by,  a  shingle  beach  projects  like  a  ihiitened  V,  leaving 
behind  it,  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  a  small  lake,  on 
the  border  of  which,  within  the  reach  of  the  salt 
spray,  were  several  nourishing  lirs.  It  was  very 
trustful  in  the  trees  to  grow  here. 

Opposite,  towards  the  mainland,  wc  saw  where  the 


Grand  Mcnan, 


265 


Fenians,  during  their  invasion,  sunk  a  vessel;  and 
lookir.g  southward  along  the  coast,  a  white  beaeh 
glimmered  in  the  afternoon  sun.  We  judged  it  a 
mile  and  a  half  distant,  and  set  out  to  walk  there,  as 
the  tide  was  now  far  enough  down.  Tiie  first  half  of 
the  distance  was  easily  accomplished,  as  there  is  a 
broad  strip  of  beach  covered  with  small  stones,  but 
the  rest  of  the  distance  is  extremely  hard.  As  we 
were  plodding  along,  a  whale — 

"  Loviatlmii.  wliich  Cod  of  nil  His  works 
Created  hugest  that  swim  the  ocean  f^trenm," 

vouchsafed  to  pay  his  respects,  rearing  his  dark  sides 
above  the  waves  with  infinite  ease  and  <n-ace. 

Nearing  our  destination,  the  difhcnlties  of  the  route 
increased,  as  the  shore  was  piled  with  boulders  vary- 
ing  in  size  from  a  barrel  to  a  small  cottage,  many  of 
which  were  moist  and  slippery.  It  was  a  severe  trial 
for  Amarinta,  and  our  slow  progress  enabled  Pintoi-, 
who  was  more  nimble  of  foot,  to  stop  occasional)  v  an(l 
sketch  the  forms  of  the  rocks,  which  are  magnificently 
colored,  and  great  treasures  iov  a  sea-side  p-tdnter. 

Finally  every  difficulty  was  passed,  and  we  stepped 
upon  the  smooth  shore  of  Indian  Beach.  Here  are 
the  lodges  of  the  Indians,  built  chiefly  of  bark,  and 
kept  in  place  by  large  stones  laid  on  the  roofs  and 
against  the  sides.  It  was  a  windy  afternoon  and 
unlit  for  i)orpoise  hunting. 

It  ha.i  been  already  stated  that  these  LuvIrjis  belong 


266 


Grand  Mcnan. 


to  tlie  Piissama4iiO(l(ly  tribe  al)ont  whom  some  facts 
may  not  prove  unacceptable.  Fatlio"  Vctromile  says 
tliat  the  name  is  a  coi-rui)tion  of  Feskamaquontik, 
from  tlic  name  l*eska(buninkkanti,  it  goes  np  into  tJte 
open  ficl'U  and  not  fiom  tlie  word  (Jiioddy,  liaddovh^ 
as  commonly  su[)i)ose(l.  Their  ancient  village  was 
on  the  liiitish  territory  now  occupied  by  St.  Andrews. 
Tbev  lo^t  their  lands,  and  for  some  time  le<l  a  roving 
life,  but  linally  hu»d  was  granted  them  at  Sijhaikf 
Pleasant  l*oiiit,  3Iaine.  This  is  about  five  miles 
above  Ka^t}»ort,  though  a  small  company  afterward 
lixed  their  abode  at  Lewis'  I>laiul.  The  latter  belouix 
to  the  so-called  "New  Party,"  which  s[)rang  into 
existence  during  a  controversy  about  their  governor 
or  chief.  Tliev  number  about  four  hundred  and  forty, 
and  draw  an  annuitv  from  the  irovernment.  Their 
houses  are  comfoitably  built,  though  not  in  all  cases 
neatly  kept.  At  the  time  1  visited  tlieir  village  the 
house  of  the  governor  was  undergoing  repairs,  and 
the  Indians  had  aKo  com[)leted  a  "hall,"  which  they 
use  for  dancing,  au  amusement  of  which  they  are 
immoderately  foi.  ,  and  in  which  ho{.\\  grown  persons 
and  ohildien  indulge  until  the  su\all  hours  jome,  ani- 
mated bv  a  hddle  or  life. 

The  ?5chool,  su[)[)orted  by  the  Board  of  lOducatioi?, 
numbers  about  thirty-live  scholars,  but  wlien  1  looked 
into  the  schoobhouse  tliere  were  only  live  or  six  pres- 
ent. The  master  apologized  for  the  thin  attendance, 
saying  ihaL   they  all  went  to   the  dunce  the  previous 


i 


Grand  Me  nan. 


267 


night.     It  is  impossible  to  put  them   under   tinv  set 
(lisci[)line.     About  eleven  o'clock,  the  scholars,  many 
of  whom  are  twenty  year^  old,  began  to  come  in    one 
l)y  one,  looking   tired  and   sleepy.     They  study  little, 
but  make  up  for  their  lack  of  industry   bv  "■i<'-..Tiii.r 
It  is  im;)ossil)le    to   force  thom.     Yet  some  ai'e   <|uite 
proficient,  and  the  master  called  upon  one  bri«dit  look- 
ing   little  girl,   whose   English    name    was    .Maiy,    to 
spell  some  words  in  her  Trimer  for  the  edilication   of 
Amarinta   and   myself.       lint    ]Mary    was    unused   to 
strangers,  and  on  being  urged  gently  she  hid  her  face 
in  her  hands  and  burst  into   tears.     AVe   were   (piite 
sorry  for  being  the  cause  of  grief,  and  tried   all   man- 
ner of  blandishments  to  win  her  confidence,  includin«»- 
a  lavish  outlay   of  small   coin;    vet   while   prudently 
holding  on  to  the  cash  with  one  hand  she  covered  her 
face  with  the  other,  and  was  inconsolable.     AVe   <r;ivo 
it  up  at  last  and  went  to   look  into    the  church,   dedi- 
cated  to    St.   Anne.      It    is  neat   in    its    appearance, 
though   profusely    adorned    with    meretricious    prints, 
such  as  iind  their  way  into  the   poorer   class  of  Ivo- 
man   churches.     Attached  is  a  house    for  the   priest. 
The   Indians  are,   of  course,   devout    Ivomanists,   and 
several   of   their   number   have   been    nuu^e   deacons  ; 
un  olhce  whicli   they  support   in   accordance   with   the 
Indian  ideas  of  digniiv  and  decorinn.     Their  bui-vin«r 
g-ound  on   the   hill->ide  at  Tleasant   Point,   presents 
those  picUires(iue  features  which   ordinarily  beloiif^   to 
the  aborigines   who   hold    t);      Kumun   faith.       Each 


268 


Grand  Menan. 


grave  is  liouscd  witli  wood,  and  luigc  crosses  lift  tliem- 
selvcs  up  from  iithr.  Tlie  l)raiich  wliich  settled  at 
Lewis'  Island  also  have  a  church  dedicated  to  St. 
Anne. 

A^,  all  seasons  of  the  year  the  people  are  more  or 
less  scattered,  beinix  enijftiwd  in  ImntiniT,  Hsliinir  and 
ha'^ivcit-niakini.!;.  Jii  the  latter  employment  they  do 
not  excL'L  The  Indian  blood  is  by  no  means  pure, 
beinir  much  corrupted  bv  an  infusion  of  French.  But 
their  laces  are  well  bronzed,  and  the  most  of  them  are 
sudlciently  savage  in  their  aspect.  But  let  us  return 
to  Menan. 

Here  ou  the  IxwcHi  we  found  quite  a  colony.  A 
part  of  them  spoke  Kngli>h.  Tlieir  canoes,  linely 
built,  and  worth  fi'om  twentv-five  to  lifrv  dollars 
apiece,  were  drawn  up  in  a  row  ou  the  sand.  Some 
of  the  men  were  trying  out  }»orp(.)ise  oil,  and  others 
were  maiving  or  re[)airing  the  vai  ions  im[>lements  of 
their  craft;  while  several  children  w'cre  playing  with 
d()i:;s.  It  was  a  no\el  scene,  indeed,  with  the  noblo 
back-ground  of  clilfs  crowned  with  dark  ijreeu  fjliaije. 
Piutor  accordingly  [)ulled  out  his  ^ketcii  book,  and 
ra[>i(lly  transferred  the  i)icture  to  its  pages,  a  knot  of 
tliese  savages  all  the  while  looking  over  his  shoulder, 
and  expressing  their  admiration  or  sur[)ri.se  with  a 
^runt.  For  myself  I  made  in([iilries  about  the  })or- 
[)oises  and  the  mode  of  catching  them,  while  Ama- 
rinta  spake  with  the  women  concerning  baskets. 

'J'hclr   custom  Is  to  shoot  them  with  a  riile,  and, 


(M 


t 


Grand  McuajL 


169 


before  they  have  time  to  sink,  jiuddlc  up  and  make  fast 
with  a  hmce,  when  tlie  creature  i.-,  dead  taking  him 
into  the  canoe.  I  afterwards  saw  them  at  their  work. 
One  Indian  sat  at  the  stern  of  the  canoe,  usini^r  ],j^ 
paddle  as  easily  as  a  fish  does  liis  lins,  and  another, 
rilie  in  hand,  stood  at  the  how.  And  mIio  is  this 
dark  comphixioned,  small  hodied,  hut  lirndv  kidt  In- 
dian,  with  an  eye  like  a  snake,  stealthily  searchini; 
the  waves  for  his  prev  and  clntchini:  his  rille  with 
such  a  bignilicaiit  grasp  ?  I  thoHfjht  I  had  seen  liim 
before.  This  is  the  Reverend  'I'onnna  Denni,  I)eac(jn 
of  the  Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church.  \^  Ik;  could 
scent,  a  heresy  as  he  tracks  a  i^orpoise,  he  would 
answer  as  an  examiner  of  the  LnpiiNition.  Vitv  the 
porpoise  upon  whom  he  "  draivs  a  bead"  for  he  is  as 
good  as  in  the  try-pot.  The  Reverend  Tomma  libhes 
for  both  i)or[)oises  and  men. 

Some  distance  south  is  Dark  Cove,  a  place  marked 
by  many  romantic  features.  The  liaihor,  f)rmed  by 
the  sea  wall,  is  about  a  mile  loni;-,  and  half  a  mih; 
wide.  In  18 IG  a  channel  was  cut,  when  the  sea 
rushed  in  with  a  loud  roar  and  raised  the  level  of  the 
water  eight  feet,  giving,  ordinarily,  a  «l.'ptii  of  fn.m 
live  to  nine  fathoms.  On  the  landward  side  of  the 
harbor  is  a  clearing  uf  lif;y  acres.  In  1<S.j2  one  John 
Sinclair  had  been  living  in  this  lonely  spot  for  (piar- 
ter  of  a  century.  Vcsseh:  can  enter  the  harbor  at 
about  two  hours  from  high  water.  Here  thev  li(}  in 
perfect  safety.     This  is  a  lumhering  station,  and  has 


2/0  Grand  iMcjian, 

few  residents,  except  at  the  busy  Ficasoii  of  the  year. 
The  path  thither  lies  throui^h  tlic  woods,  and,  nearer 
at  hand,  is  ]Money  Cove,  where  search  has  been  made 
for  (lie  treasures  of  the  inevitable  Kidd,  who  was 
sacrificed  by  the  politicians  to  save  the  reputation  of 
Lord  Somers  and  the  Earl  of  Bellomont,  and  m  horn 
popular  tradition  wrongly  represents  as  a  comnaon, 
blood-ihirsty  pirate.  The  old  song  does  not  even 
give  Kidd's  name  correctly,  (much  less  any  true  idea 
of  his  character),  making  him  say — 

"  My  name  was  Uohcrt  Kidd,  as  1  sailed," 

instead  of  \\  illiam. 

At  this  place  a  brook  flows  down  between  two  cliffs, 
and  a  couple  of  old  \nAU  are  thought  to  belong  to 
some  ancient  French  settlers. 

It  was  im[>ossible  to  visit  these  places  now,  and 
therefore  we  cast  about  us  to  devise  our  return.  At 
this  juncture  a  lucky  thought  occurred  to  Amarinta. 
The  Indians  should  carry  us  back  to  Long's  Kddv  in 
a  canoe.  It  would  save  that  climb  among  the  roc.»s, 
and  be  so  romantic.  A  bargain  was  thei'efore  struck 
on  the  spo',,  two  ludians  then  carried  down  a  canoe, 
Pintor  [»ul  his  .^ketch-book  in  his  pocket,  and  '^ve  all 
carefuUv  iiot  aboard,  stowinix  ourselves  away  at  the 
bottom.  One  of  our  cop[>er-colored  brethren  sat  in 
the  bows  and  braced  up  the  mast  which  had  a  large 
Bpritsail  attached,  while  the  other  steered  and  held 
the  sheet  in  his  hand.     A  fresh  breeze  was  now  blow- 


Grand  Mcjian, 


2;[ 


ing  along  the  shore,  and  no  sooner  was  the  canoe  fi  re 
from  tlie  bear:h  than  it  flew  away  before  the  wind  lil^e 
an  arrow.  This  was  really  more  like  sailing  than 
anything  I  had  ever  experienced  before  in  niv  lifs 
and  we  glided  almost  noiselessly  for  a  mile  and  a 
half,  with  nothing  bnt  a  thin  piece  of  birch-bark  bt- 
tweea  us  and  the  deep  Bay  of  Fnndy.  The  clilfs 
went  past  as  the  railway  stations  Hit  by  an  express 
train,  and  before  we  were  aware  of  the  fact  the  canoe 
safely  touched  the  shore  at  Long's  Eddy. 

As  a  i)Iace  of  summer  resort.  Grand  .IMenan  is  in 
some  respects  unecpialled.  At  certain  seasons  the  i^.^^ 
is  abundant,  yet  that  can  be  endured.  Here  tiie 
opportunities  for  recreation  are  unlimited,  and  all 
persons  fond  of  grand  seashore  views  may  indulge 
their  taste  without  limit. 

The  people  are  invariably   kind   and  trustworthy, 
and  American  manners  and  habits  prevail  to  such  aii 
extent  that  travellers  at  once  feel  at  home.     Thev 
generally  take  a  lively  interest  in  American   afihirs, 
and  are  well  informed  on  the  principal   political  (jues- 
tions.       During    the   late    Uebellion   uiany   -skedad- 
lers,"  as  the  Menanites  call  them,   took   refuge  licre, 
generally  coming  over  in   stolen   boats.     They   wcie' 
not  highly  respected,  and  the  general  opinion  *is  that 
they  stole  about  as  many  boats   when  they   left  as 
when  they  came. 

This  will  never  b.come  a  fashionable  resort.     The 
magnificent  Mrs.  All-pork,  of  All-pork  I'lace,  ^^•ould 


2/2 


Grand  Mcnan. 


take  litile  comfort  horo.  ILn*  trains  would  not  (Iraaixle 
well  anionic  tlio  rocks,  and  she  would  ask  to  go  homo 
by  the  first  boat.  Yet  [)crsons  of  refined  taste,  who 
desire  to  esca;)e  fi'om  the  stereotyped  insipidity  of  tiie 
fashional)le  watering  place,  and  are  willing  to  take 
such  fare  as  the  ishmd  affords,  may  spend  a  pleasant 
month  here  in  the  summer.  For  a  number  o£  years 
it  has  been  a  favorite  haunt  of  artists,  as  the  walls  of 
the  Academy  bear  witness.  The  albums  of  the  younij 
ladies  hereabouts  are  full  of  their  photographs,  all  the 
prominent  artists  of  the  country  being  represented. 
As  some  may  feel  curious  on  the  subject  of  expense, 
I  mav  mention  that  six.  or  seven  doHars  is  the  ordi- 
nary  fare  from  Uoston,  and  that  half-a-didlar  a  dav  in 
gold  will  cover  the  cost  of  diet,  such  as  it  is. 

lUit  our  sojourn  in  this  paradise  of  clilfs  came  to 
an  end,  and  v/e  were  obliged  to  leave.  So,  the 
reader  may  })erha'ps  desire  to  know  how  we  got  back 
to  the  mainland.  AVe  had  expected  to  taivc  the 
"Wednesday  packet,  but  fearing  that  the  wind  might 
not  serve,  we  left  on  the  Monday  previous.  About 
nine  o'clock  we  went  down  to  the  beach  and  saw  a 
vessel  sailing  out  of  the  cove,  and  learned  that  she 
was  bound  to  East[)ort.  Tlie  v.ind  was  light,  and 
therefore  could  we  overtake  her  in  a  row-boat? 

Then  spake  Goodman  Stanton,  a  fisherman  of  curi- 
ous genealogy,  in  whom  Cape  Cod,  Ca[)e  Ann  and 
Mount  Desert  were  wondrously  mixed  up,  and  who 
often  unconsciously  posed  for  the  artists  visiting  the 


Grand  .}rc;i(vi. 


"/  6 


sliore.  ^7o  conl.l  IkihUv  ratcl,  tl,r  vos.rl  imu  from 
tliis  place,  ],nt  if  we  stMrf.l  ,,ir  t..  Whale  C.ve.  we 
might  gcf  aboard  when  slhM'aine  aroinid  tV,.ni  SwmN 
l'>\v  Tail  Head;  very  lik^^ly  we  ,-„ul.L  And  1..^ 
guessed   that   they  would  stop  and  take  us  ahoanl. 

Ir  was  a  heautilid  day  for  tiie  voya-e,an.l  >.,  I  >,h,i, 
packed  up.  put  Ainarinta  aii.l  the  lu-i:ai;v  info  the 
wn-on.  start<:d  „fr  old  !i..an  linipin-  towards  the 
cove;  and.  l,i,ldin,-(,ur  kind  landkady  adieu,  foUowed 
after  on  foot,  leaving  our  artist-friends  to  l.rin-  up  the 
rear.  '"^ 

Before    all    the    party    reael.e<l    the    shon.    of    tin; 
cove,  the  hreeze  sprang   up,  an.l    the   expected  vessel 
came  hi  sight,  passing   on    he,-    way.      [   a<-eonlini:ly 
started  a  coui,le  of  lishernien  in  a  light  hoat,   to   head 
lier    oil;   an.l    p..rsuad(;    tin;     skipper     to    wait.     'I'he 
schooner  was  no.v  a   full    ndle    from    shon-,  hut  they 
si)rai.g   to   their   work   and    wen^    soon    half-wav  nut, 
^vhen    they  stopped,  ].ut   their  jackets    on    their\>ar.,' 
and  waved  them  as  a   signal,    hallooinn-   at    the  same 
time  with  all  their  might.      Of  this   the   skipper  took 
no   notice    and    sailed    merrily    on    his    wav.     Again, 
therc'fore,   they    pli,,,!    tla^    oars,   and    at    tiie    rnd   n|' 
'^•»«"l»<'i-  quarter  of  a   mih^  stopped   and  went   through 
'  «tdl  more  lunatic  p<M-formance.     This  was  too  nmeh 
for    the    skipper,    and   he    accordingly    hove    to    and 
waited  for  them   to   come   alongside.  '  Then    we   saw 
the  boat  leave  them,  and  the  schooner  headed  off,, nee 
more  ou  the  course   to  Kastport.     AVe  now    thoii<dit 


274 


Grand  Menan. 


that  o\ir  embassy  had  failed ;  hut  it  turned  out  that 
Goodmau  Stanton  knew  best;  for  as  soon  as  the 
schooner  got  steerage  way  again,  the  skipper  put  the 
liehn  down,  brought  his  craft  to,  hauled  the  jib-sheet 
to  the  windward,  and  so  wore  round  and  stood  for  the 
slKjre.  In  ten  minutes  more  we  were  all  on  the  deck 
of  the  /'V«s//,  an  English  lishing  smack  of  thirty  tons, 
bound  for  a  cargo  of  salt.  At  the  helm  stood  a 
middle-aged  man  with  a  curious  droop  about  one  eye, 
whom  I  took  fur  a  well-to-do  factor  of  fish ;  but  I 
(mentally)  cried  his  mercy  when  I  happened  to  dis- 
cover that,  instead,  he  was  a  lislier  of  men.  Yester- 
day, with  the  form  of  sound  words,  and  in  some  one 
of  the  ecclesiastical  centres  of  the  island,  he  had 
divided  the  attention  of  certain  ^lenanites  with  a 
^lormon  elder,  who  was  abroad  even  here  doing  the 
bi<hlinir  of  his  master  at  Salt  Lake. 

The  deck  was  covered  with  barrels  of  herring,  but 
we  found  room  to  bestow  ourselves  upon  the  trunks. 
Contrary  to  our  expectations,  the  breeze  held  fresh, 
and  the  schooner  sailed  swiftly  past  the  headlands 
for  the  east  side  of  Campo  liello.  On  our  way  we 
had  one  of  the  finest  exhibitions  of  mirage  ever  wit- 
nessed on  tliis  coast,  which  has  already  been  referred 
to  in  the  chMi)ter  on  fog.  In  three  hours  we  were  at 
the  mouth  of  Kastport  harbor,  when  the  favorable  tide 
caught  us  and  swept  us  swiftly  up  to  the  town. 

Our  trip  from  the  Isles  of  Shoals  to  Grand  Menan 
is  now  ended  :.  but  next  to  the  satisfaction   taken  in 


fwm 


!t 


Grand  Menan. 


27: 


uTitin.^r  tliese  notes  will  l,e  tl.e  pleasure  of  .Icm.ir  it 
over  jigai.i;  for  scenes  like  those  tlirongh  wl.ich^ve 
have  wandered  can  never  cloy,  but  will  retain  a  per- 
renial  freshness  after  repeated  visits  and  the  lapse  of 
years. 


i^ 


4 


t 


APPEXDIW 


I. 

THE  FREXCII  SKTTLKMKNT. 
Since  tlic  body  of  tliis  wcrk  w.-.s  coniplofcd,  (!,o  joiiniMls 
and  niiscclluncous  collections  of  (iciicral  Dc  IVystcr  n- 
lat.nj^Mo  Mount  Desert,  iuivc  luvn  piaccl  l.v  him  at'..ur 
disposal  A  uiuch  better  use  .'ouid  have  been  nia.h'  of  this 
material  d  reeeived  „M.ner.  I  will,  nevertheless,  extract  a 
lew  tliMiiisot  anti(|nai-ian  interest. 

^  GLMieruM)c  Peyster,  who  has  already  boon  mentioned 
in  connection  with  -  The  Dutcliin  Maine,"  visited  M,„int 
J)csert  in  the  years  I,So(J-7.  ()„  reachin-  Sonth-we.t  Har- 
bor he  experienced  the  disappointment  often  iMt  bv  those 
who  bcM-m  their  ac(inaintanee  with  the  island  there.'  Cer- 
tain thinirs,  he  thoii-ht,  reminded  him  of  the  Mediterri- 
iiean,  andhe  admitted  oven  that  Somes'  Sound  was  mi.r- 
ndicent.  On  the  whole,  he  thought  that  he  should  not 
care  to  stay  more  than  a  ti-w  days.  In  cours.,  of  time 
however,  he  chan-cl  his  opinion,  an.l  whm  visitiii--  Flvin-r 

.Mountain  applauded  the  opinion  of  his  Italian   lV7/,//who 
exclaime.l,  -Italy!  Italv  I" 

(Jenoral  De  Teyster'.s  chief  objeet  while  on  the  ishi„,l 
was  to  hnd  some  relic  of  the  Jesuit  Missirm.  One  day 
when  on  his  way  to  lieech  Mountain,  (ieneral  De  Pevster 
says :  V'  ^ i 

-We  stopped  at  the  house  of  old   .Air.  Isaac   Maviiew 
ton,k  h„u  .,i,o„t  the  site  of  the   fn>t  French  setticm.-nt' 
lie   told   me   that  when    he  came    into  this   nei.rhborhoo.i 
with  his  tathei;  seventy-nine  years  a,!;,,,  there  was^no  .lilfer- 
ence    ot    opinnrn    with  regard  to  the  site   (.f  that  colonv 
As  1   sui)posea,  Flynn's   Point   was   designated  ;    and  hu 


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278 


Appendix. 


licanl  Ills  fiithcr  sny  that  that  was  tlie  [)oint  occujiicd.  It 
is  only  recently  that  another  ;!;eneration  jMjinted  out  other 
loealities.  *  *  *  To  my  iiKjuiry,  did  he  ever  hear  of 
a  settlement  at  Northeast   Harbor,  he    rei)lied  /<o,   deei- 


d 


(led  IV. 


The  General  was  also  told  "  thntthe  first  French  settlers 
cleareil  the  rid'^e  extendini;  to  the  sea-wall  and  Flynn's 
Point ;  also  that  they  occupied  dwellin^iS  over  the  cellars 
and  henrths  still  existin;^-"  Mr.  Nicholas  Thomas,  who, 
while  c()n(ined  by  an  accident,  wrote  a  history  of  his  life 
in  rhyme,  gave  Jiim  a  jjjreat  many  stories,  and,  amon<!; 
others,  one  about  a  fort  that  was  said  to  have  existetl  on 
Flynn's  I'oint. 

"  The  fort,"  he  says,  "  was  built  of  wood,  piled  endwise, 
as  if  ti;.'  ojien  space  was  enclosed  by  a  pile  of  cord-v/ood, 
by  which  expression,  I  suppose,  it  Avas  intended  to  convey 
the  meaning  that  the  rampart  was  reveted  in  the  same 
way  thaf;  I  have  seen  a  bank  kept  up  liy  refuse  wood. 
This  iiM't  had  embrasures,  and  mounted  at  least  two  guns, 
but  of  what  calibre  tradition  does  not  state,  thou<:;h  one 
hnrM^  ibr  his  Uncle  Mayhew  told  his  father  that  he  saw  a 
piece  of  iron  cannon  du^-  up,  jiart  of  the  breech  he  thought, 
which  weighed  forty-four  pounds." 

j\luch  time  was  also  sjuMit  in  (Erecting  exhumations  at 
the  various  points  suggested  as  sites  occupied  by  the 
French,  vet  nothinii  satistactorv  was  tbun  l :  and  finallv  an 
old  inhabitant  discourajj-ed  him  from  lurther  elforts  ])V 
assuring  him  that  he  knew  the  history  of  all  the  supposed 
relics  whi(di  spade  and  i)ick  brought  uj).  The  General 
theretbre  very  wisely  abaii<loned  the  work.  He  has,  nev- 
ertheless, accumulated  a  I  irge  number  of  interesting  ti'adi- 
tions,  and  noted  with  much  industry  a  great  variety  of 
valuable  facts  connected  with  the  cli'iiate,  topography,  and 
the  fisheries.  His  observations  extend  over  the  whole 
coast  ot'  Maine,  and  were  originally  collected  with  refer- 
cnct'  to  publication. 

Still  every  one  must  now  conceile,  that  the  old  men  of 
Blount  Desert  have  tew  ijualilications  as  historians.  They 
entertain  the  notion  that  the  French  made  i)ermanent 
settlementM  in  l(il3,  and  hence  everywhere  show  relics  of 
their  occupation.     But  we  have  alreud}'  demonstrated  that 


P  H.I  uufnffpvs^p 


Appendix. 


-79 

tlio^  Frenoli  di.l  not  n-niain  ov(>r  tlin^  montl.s,  an.l  that 
tho.r  sc.ttlonH'nt  at  LVrnal.rs  INrint  was  cornpl.t.lv  !lo' 
s  roycHl  let  the  ml.ib.tants  n.ioht  well  use  tlaM,-  in.a.rina- 
t.ons  at  a  tnne  when  IJa.irroffs  acrount,  hase.l  on"  e 
pnnee  of  hlmidercrs,  Clu.rlevoix,  still  <lisli<anv,l  his  ,.! .' 
and  taught  that  the  colony  was  located  up  the  IVrulisrof' 
C:;i;L;^nS^  ^^^^^^^^'  ^-^  ^^--^^--ttn  lli.to..al  society « 

11. 

A  FIGHT  AT  XOKWOOD'S   COVE. 

To  General  De  Teyster-s  jo„rnal  I  am  indebted  f;,r  the 
tradition  in    regard   to  a  stn.^^jrK.  at   the   alw.ve   ph,,..   in 
l^omes     Sound     between    the    islanders    and    the    JJritish 
diirin^r  the  Kevolutionarv  war.  '    ' 

it  appears,  from  the'aeeonnt,  that  tlu;  Captain  of  the 
liritish  Ln-ate  lenedos  undertook  to  cut  out  a  enuple  of 
sehooners  at  .Norwood's  Cove.  At  the  time  two  (v,m panie^ 
ot  nnlitia  were  stationed  there,  and  when  (he  IJHti-h  n,wed 
in  with  their  boats  they  opened  (iiv,  eausin;,r  them  to  ivturii 
U)  the  lenedos  With  considerable  loss.  It  is  said  that  the 
liritish  buried  their  dead  on  Bear  Island. 

Jir. 

TALLrAT.AXn  AT  MOUNT  DESERT. 

Griswold  says  in  his  li'^piihlicfm  Court: 

'•  It  has  becm  su-^rested  that  this  extraordlnarv  character 
was  a  native  ot  Mo.int  Dc-sert,  in  Maine,  and  soine  curious 
acts  have  been  a.hli.ccl   in   support  of  this  opinion.     He 
iKidnotlon-   been  in  the  country,  before  Mr.  Kdwaid   II 
lu.bbins,  alterward  Lieutenant  (iovernor  of  Mas.siclmM.tts' 
discovere<llum   in.-.,-.,  at  Mount  Des.Mt,  wamh-riicr  ab.,ut 
with.Mit  any   apparent  ni.,tive.     'J'he  ohh-r  inhahirants  of 
t hat  s.'clu.h'd   place  thought    ihcv  re.-o-ni/,.,!   in    him    an 
dicouimate  ,.mo(  the  p.v.ty  .lauoh(,.r  c,f  a  fisherman  and 
the   .•aptain   .»t    a    Iivn.-h    national   ship  which   had    b,.,.n 
there    ,n     1  r.O.'J.       The    boy,    they    sai.l,    wlum    tw.-lv.-    or 
thirt.-en  years  of  a-e.   his  inoth.-r  b.'injr  dead,   had   invu 
taken  away  by  a   French  gentleman,  who  .l.-.hire.l    tlu't 


•6o 


ApJ^cudix. 


' 


l)n!.lisluMl/'J(p.  oZ-'j'^  ^'"   ^''""^   ^'-IM'netions,    will'  be 

states  ilK.t   Ih.  washnnTi      p  I    '^^'•^^•^''n'^    bioorapl.v 

I"'^  i:'tlHT's  roof  nn  VhV    V      V  ^'^   ""'"'  '^''P^  "'"1^'^' 

-0 siKd^;:  oi-    r;;:.''=^^-^ ^'^-y  •-'"  'i<-^o-L - tha 

^^^.^^^^      i^litiinan,  c/c«r/^  had  the  .Mount  IJe.ert  variety  in 

IV. 

j;stj:vax  gomkz. 

Tlie  earliest  map  slion-in.n  anv  novfinn  r>f  ii  „    » 
ooMstiv-asIn- Jinn  I),.  I  .,  r       ■    !.   ,     7  "'  '"<=  Amoncan 

tik. first nri,  ■",, '  i;'^"r''r"  ";;■  ''^'"^ "'' -^^ i>- ^-m. 

Kil'fro,  of   I5V;;\,  ,.•,,.  ^,'''    "I'f     ^«l"al'l"   Is    that  of 

ti.,t  (..,,, . ,  ,,,,,,^,,,^  f ,:,;;^.:;;:[,,  -  tn  ■:;:"(^ ;::» 

Oo.„ri     'it  P;,l,to  ';.'?■•'''•''  'I'"  ^'""''  ';/'/^'"'<"« 


